Missouri Lawmakers Put Forward Bill to Restore Second Amendment Rights
Jose Nino
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Missouri elected officials recently introduced HB 1708 with the ostensive aim of restoring Second Amendment rights. Under this legislation, regulation on the right to carry firearms on public transportation, churches, and for individuals in the age range of 18 to 21 would be gradually lifted.
The bill has been making some degree of progress in the last few years. In 2023, said legislation was passed in the State House but ended up dying in the State Senate. Similar legislation faced a similar fate in 2022.
Under the current legislative iteration of HB 1708, people with a valid concealed carry permit can use firearms on public transportation.
On top of that, the bill reduces the age to acquire a concealed carry permit to 18 from 19. This bill also modifies state law to prevent individuals who have entered deferred adjudication programs from losing their Second Amendment rights.
Most notably, HB 1708 removes the prohibition on concealed carry in churches from individuals who possess concealed carry permits.
The fact of the matter is that the more law-abiding gun owners there are, the safer a given jurisdiction will end up becoming. The right to bear arms is the most effective insurance policy for public safety.
Missouri is already one of the most pro-gun jurisdictions in the nation as evidenced by its 19th place ranking according to Guns & Ammo magazine’s best states for gun owners rankings. Passing this law would improve the state’s pro-gun profile.
All red states can still benefit from the passage of additional pro-gun measures. There is simply no such thing as too many pro-gun reforms.
Hopefully, Missouri can pass this law and other pro-gun measures further down the line.
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