Missouri Action Needed: Gun Bills Referred to Committee

Two bills have been referred to the House General Laws Committee and have been scheduled for a hearing tomorrow.  Please contact members of the committee and urge them to support HB 458 and oppose any amendments to HB 1068.  State Representative Donna Lichtenegger has threatened to amend HB 1068 and potentially subject gun owners to other criminal prosecution.  Please click the “Take Action” button to contact members of the committee!

House Bill 458, sponsored by state Representative Justin Hill (R-108), specifies that lawful owners of firearms may transport or store the firearms in locked, privately-owned motor vehicles without fear of civil liability, criminal liability or employer retribution.  Throughout the country, many employers and business owners have adopted "No Firearms" policies that extend beyond the physical workplace or building to include parking lots – areas often accessible to the general public and not secure.  In order to comply with these policies, many law-abiding gun owners must choose between protecting themselves during their commutes and being subject to termination by their employer.  The fundamental right to self-defense should not stop simply because you park your car in a publicly accessible parking lot owned by your employer or a business owner. 

House Bill 1068, sponsored by state Representative Donna Lichtenegger (R-146), would incorporate existing federal firearm disqualifications relating to domestic violence as part of Missouri law. The bill would make it unlawful for persons convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor crime or those subject to a current domestic violence protection order, as these are defined in the bill, to own or possess a firearm.  As drafted, HB 1068 also provides a 24 hour window to those individuals subject to a domestic violence protection order to dispose or remove any firearm from their possession/ownership.  However, Representative Lichtenegger has threatened to make amendments to this bill that would remove the 24-hour provision and the protection this offers to persons who, in good faith, seek to comply with such court orders.  Any amendment to HB 1068 will be considered a hostile attack on Missouri gun owners and should be opposed.

Please contact members of the House General Laws Committee and urge them to SUPPORT House Bill 458 and to OPPOSE any amendments to House Bill 1068.