JEFFERSON CITY — A Missouri senator running for statewide office resurrected a plan Wednesday to bar the enforcement of red flag gun laws.
Sen. Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican seeking to become secretary of state, outlined legislation that would prohibit law enforcement officials from confiscating a firearm if a person is found to be a threat to themselves or others.
Hoskins described the measure as a way to protect Second Amendment rights from government overreach.
“We’ve seen the federal government being weaponized against political opponents in the past,†Hoskins told members of the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee.
A similar pro-gun proposal failed to advance last year amid bipartisan opposition.
In the hearing, William Bland of Liberty said he and members of the Western Missouri Shooters Alliance believe red flag laws are unconstitutional.
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“We wholeheartedly support this bill,†Bland told the committee.
Kristin Bowen, a volunteer for Moms Demand Action from Boone County, told lawmakers to reject the proposal.
“Missouri already has some of the weakest gun laws in the country,†Bowen said. “Missourians have been paying the price for these actions with their lives.â€
Missouri is one of 31 states without a red flag law. Gun safety advocates say the laws could help temporarily remove firearms from people who are experiencing a mental health crisis.
Currently, Missouri law allows people to carry concealed weapons without a permit. Republicans also have lowered the age to have a concealed weapon to 19. And cities and counties are restricted in their ability to set their own firearms regulations.
It’s not clear whether the proposal has any momentum this year in the wake of last month’s shooting after the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory parade that left one person dead and nearly two dozen injured.
In the House, Majority Leader Jon Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, said his chamber wouldn’t be acting on at least two pro-gun initiatives this year because of the parade shooting.
Sen. Brian Williams, D-University City, told the committee he would “do everything in my power†to stop the bill in its tracks.
“This is a real thing we’re talking about. This is about the fact that this is a true crisis. This is not about winning the day. This is not about winning the election cycle,†Williams said.
Jacqueline Bardgett, a lobbyist for the City of ºüÀêÊÓƵ, said Mayor Tishaura O. Jones is extremely opposed to the legislation.
In March 2023, Republican Sen. Lincoln Hough of Springfield helped Democrats defeat the measure when it was brought up in a Senate committee. He said at the time that it was a political stunt by members of the Senate’s hard-right Freedom Caucus and, if it had passed, would be deemed unconstitutional.
The legislation is Sena