Poll: Missourians want smart gun laws

Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia)’s poorly-written Amendment 5 has already wrecked gun laws in Missouri, and a new poll now reveals that a majority of Missouri voters don’t support its measures or recent gun legislation in the Missouri House.

Amendment 5 made it legal for felons to own guns. House Bill 1220 was a weak attempt at fixing that, allowing many different types of felons to continue owning guns in Missouri. House Bill 1250 makes matters worse by allowing concealed carry without a permit.

The new poll revealed that Missourians want common sense gun laws:

• 63 percent say no felons should be allowed to own a gun.
• 55 percent are less likely to vote for a candidate who supports allowing certain felons to be allowed to own a gun.
• 76 percent of all voters – including 72 percent of gun owners and 72 percent of concealed carry permit holders - oppose changing the law to allow people to carry concealed handguns without a permit.
• 63 percent of voters statewide – including a majority of gun owners and concealed-carry permit owners – would be more likely to vote against a candidate for public office who supported changing Missouri law to make it legal to carry a concealed weapon without a permit.

“It’s just common sense,” says Erin Gregory, a Kansas City volunteer leader with Moms Demand Action. “We should not pass laws that let dangerous criminals own or carry concealed, loaded guns in public.  As Missourians and as moms, we call on our lawmakers in Jefferson City to stand up to the Washington gun lobby and reject these dangerous bills.”

Missourians want common-sense gun laws and the Missouri Legislature needs to act on that instead of approving bills that put Missourians at risk.