Most adults can now carry concealed weapons without a permit in Missouri, after a supermajority of Republicans in the legislature passed the bill into law Wednesday.
The law allows people to carry concealed weapons anywhere it is lawful to carry weapons openly, and will take effect Jan. 1, reports Fox News. Supporters of the bill have dubbed it “constitutional carry.”
Ten other states already have similar laws on the books.
Missouri’s new law also includes a “stand-your-ground” measure, stipulating that citizens have a right not to retreat from danger anywhere they are lawfully present. It’s the first state to pass such a measure since 2011, although dozens of others have passed similar “stand-your-ground” laws.
Democrats in the legislature hotly contested the bill, saying it could put minorities at greater risk of being shot. “The targets in our area are black boys, not pheasants,” Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal said, who represents fatally-shot Michael Brown’s hometown of Ferguson.
Republicans, however, said the bill protects the rights of law-abiding citizens. “The basis of this whole bill is that it allows law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and their families,” said bill sponsor Sen. Brian Munzlinger, according to Fox News.
Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed the bill, but Republicans have a supermajority in the legislature. The Senate voted Wednesday to override the veto.
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