A Republican State Senator from the Lakes Region is proposing a bill to restrict local government’s ability to limit concealed carry of firearms.
Under Missouri law, local governments are only allowed to regulate firearm possession in regards to concealed carry. Cape Fair Republican Senator Brad Hudson’s bill would end that exception according to a report from the Missouri News Network.
The bill would allow a gun owner who is regulated by a local concealed carry ordinance to take their local government to court. If the government is found in contempt, it would have to pay the gun owner $50,000.
Missouri Firearm Coalition policy advisor Aaron Dor, says his group believes local laws are infringing on the right to bear arms and the government should pay the price.
“If a jurisdiction is going to put a gun owner down and arrest him and then prosecute him for an illegal ordinance, that gun owner has certainly earned the right to have a penalty rewarded back to him.”
St. Louis County resident and member of gun control group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America Laura Burke Hartman testified Monday that she opposes the bill because local communities should be able to legislate with their own safety concerns in mind.
“Rural, suburban, urban areas face distinct challenges. The Senate bill 908 preemption prevents local leaders from addressing these issues through targeted policies.”
Similar legislation was proposed in 2025 but was never called for a full Senate vote.
(Story by Maggie LeBeau, Missouri News Network)
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