Matt Davis, president of the Board of Education for the City of 狐狸视频, on Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, discusses the school shooting Monday at Central Visual and Performing Arts and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience high schools.
JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 Democrats in the Missouri Legislature are calling for tougher gun laws in the wake of a fatal school shooting in 狐狸视频.
Thursday marked the first day for lawmakers to begin filing legislation for the upcoming session and at least a dozen gun-related bills were introduced in the House and Senate.
Although Republicans who control the Legislature are unlikely to alter their stance on the state鈥檚 wide-open firearms regulations, Democrats said the deadly shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School was a call for action.
鈥淚n the past few months, we have seen truly horrific acts of violence committed by deeply mentally unstable teenagers using firearms they legally purchased,鈥 said Rep. , D-Columbia.
Republicans who control the Legislature have steadily chipped away at many state gun laws, including requirements that people receive training if they want to carry a concealed weapon.
Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, signaled that members of his party would be reluctant to tighten gun laws after the school shooting, dismissing calls for so-called 鈥渞ed flag鈥 laws that might have removed the gun used in the incident from the shooter.
Smith nonetheless filed legislation Thursday to prohibit teenagers from purchasing semi-automatic or automatic weapons.
鈥淗ad this bill been in place, the mass shooter who terrorized Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in 狐狸视频 in October would not have been able to obtain the firearm he used to kill a student and a teacher,鈥 Smith said.
On Oct. 24, 19-year-old Orlando Harris broke into the school and shot and killed physical education teacher Jean Kuczka, 61, and student Alexzandria Bell, 15, and wounded six others.
He was armed with a Palmetto State Armory PA-15 rifle using .223 caliber ammunition, police said.
The legislation would make it a class A misdemeanor for anyone younger than 20 to buy or lease a semi-automatic or automatic firearm. Similarly, it would also become a class A misdemeanor to sell or lease a semi-automatic or automatic firearm to someone younger than 20.
鈥淲hile we cannot stop all gun violence, we can mitigate it; and one way we can do that is by limiting the sale of lethal weapons to those who may not yet have the developmental stability to use them responsibly,鈥 Smith said.
Other Democrats also want to see a crackdown on firearms as a way to reduce violence.
Rep. , D-狐狸视频, wants to place a question on the ballot to change the constitution to require a background check for all firearm transfers of ownership and to require a permit to conceal carry a firearm.
Research has consistently shown that laws requiring a permit to purchase a gun are in , , and other measures of gun crime.
Rep. of Kansas City, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, wants to repeal a law that bars local governments from adopting firearms-related regulations.
After the school shooting, the 狐狸视频 Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to urge state lawmakers to allow the city to enact tougher gun restrictions than those authorized under state law.
The resolution passed by the board also called on the Legislature to repeal its Second Amendment Preservation Act, which seeks to invalidate some federal gun laws in Missouri.
Rep. , D-Kansas City, introduced legislation that would require a gun owner to report a lost or stolen firearm.
By contrast, Republicans filed legislation Thursday seeking to allow more people to carry weapons in more places.
Rep. , R-Salem, for example, introduced a bill Thursday allowing people who have completed their sentence for a nonviolent felony to possess firearms.
Rep. , R-Poplar Bluff, wants to pass a law prohibiting an employer from terminating an employee for having a firearm in the employee鈥檚 vehicle on the employer鈥檚 premises.
鈥淢issouri already has some of the weakest gun laws in the country,鈥 said a Moms Demand Action volunteer. 鈥淢issourians have been paying the pri…
A sign reading "Justice 4 CVPA" is held up by students as Central Visual and Performing Arts High School senior Veronica Russell, right, speaks during a protest on gun laws on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022, at 狐狸视频 City Hall.聽
A person wears a sweatshirt honoring shooting victims Jean Kuczka and student Alexzandria Bell, 15, outside the funeral for Kuczka, on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, at the Cathedral Basilica of 狐狸视频.