JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - People with misdemeanor convictions of domestic violence would be barred from having access to guns under proposed legislation.
It's the second year that a bipartisan group of lawmakers have tried to close a loophole that was created after lawmakers overrode then-Gov. Jay Nixon's veto and legalized concealed carry without a permit in 2016. The Kansas City Star reports that legislative attempts last year didn't gain traction. Lawmakers who vowed to close the gap view the debate as an urgent issue of public safety rather than one focused on Second Amendment rights.
Republican State Rep. Donna Lichtenegger, of Jackson, watched her mother get beaten when she was growing up and is sponsoring the senate version of the bill. She says, "No matter who you are, people should not hurt you."
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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com