JEFFERSON CITY — Senate committees heard testimony Wednesday in support of one proposed law designed to stop kids from carrying guns in public and another that would allow more school personnel to carry guns in schools.
The first measure, sponsored by Sen. , D-ºüÀêÊÓƵ, would set the minimum age for knowingly possessing a concealable firearm to 18. The proposal would still allow juveniles to possess a concealable firearm or handgun under adult supervision.
It comes as ºüÀêÊÓƵ and continue to grapple with high levels of gun violence, including a school shooting in ºüÀêÊÓƵ in October.
There have been 15 mass killings in the U.S. this year, including one in Louisville, Kentucky, earlier this week and another two weeks ago at a Christian elementary school in Nashville.
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Lawmakers, business groups and juvenile justice experts told members of the Senate General Laws Committee that it is not right that police are handcuffed by current state law to arrest minors who are in public with a firearm.
“It’s something that needs to be handled,†said Sen. Doug Beck, D-Affton, adding that it’s a particularly bad situation in the ºüÀêÊÓƵ region.
Pat Kelly, executive director of the Municipal League of Metro ºüÀêÊÓƵ, said visitors to the city have faced high levels of gun violence when they are going to restaurants or other businesses.
“We have a real issue and problem in our area,†Kelly told the panel.
“It gives us a black eye,†Beck added.
Most states set age requirements for firearm possession. Federal law puts the minimum age for handgun possession at 18.
But Missouri’s 2021 Second Amendment Preservation Act declares “invalid†federal gun laws that aren’t on the books in Missouri.
The proposal, which was not voted on by the committee, would make possession of a handgun by a minor a misdemeanor, giving police an avenue to arrest a teenager.
The arrest would be handled in juvenile court. When a person turns 18, their record would typically be sealed.
Marcia Hazelhorst, executive director of the Missouri Juvenile Justice Association, said young people, whose brains are still developing, should not have unchecked access to firearms.
“They present a risk to public safety,†Hazelhorst said, adding that the change in law would also have a deterrent effect on minors.
Meanwhile, members of the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Commission heard testimony on a House bill that would allow more school personnel to carry hidden guns into classrooms as a line of defense against attackers.
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Chris Dinkins, R-Lesterville, would expand the state’s school protection officer program to any school personnel, ranging from custodians to school lunch workers.
Currently, the program offers security training resources for teachers or administrators who want to carry a firearm in school in a security capacity.
Dinkins told members of the panel that the proposal gives locally run school districts more flexibility to appoint more people beyond teachers and principals to protect students.
“In the rural communities, it often takes 45 minutes for a law enforcement person to get there,†Dinkins said.
The proposal requires any additional school protection officers to complete 112 hours of basic firearms training and an additional 18 hours every two years.
The measure earlier won approval in the House on a 120-25 vote.
The legislation is and .