JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri Democrats are calling for tougher gun laws following the deadly shooting at the Kansas City Super Bowl rally.
With Republicans holding a super majority in the General Assembly, many GOP members say they’re waiting for more information to be released about the shooting before moving forward.
Dozens of lawmakers were present at the victory celebration last Wednesday when gunshots rang out. Democrats are once again pushing for stricter gun regulations.
“Anytime you pass one of these gun laws, then someone else who is a law-abiding citizen, their Second Amendment right is infringed because of that,” Rep. Ben Baker, R-Neosho, said Monday.
Kansas City police said 23 people were injured between the ages of 8 and 47. Over half of the victims are under the age of 16. A Kansas City radio DJ, Lisa Lopez, was killed in the shooting at Union Station, police say. The incident happened at the end of the rally, just west of Union Station near the garage. Lopez was a DJ at KKFI in Kansas City.
“Every person who was at the parade had a very different experience that day depending on where they were and who they were with,” House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, said. “As a super-minority party, there isn’t a lot we can do when it comes to policy. We can get loud and we can draw attention to this, but it is absolutely about who we send to represent us in the state of Missouri and, absolutely, voters need to hold these people accountable.”
Missouri is known for having some of the laxest gun laws in the country. No permit is needed to buy a gun and the state allows for open carry. Back in 2021, Republicans approved the “Second Amendment Preservation Act,” known as SAPA. This law nullified any federal gun laws in the state and penalized any police departments that enforced those laws.
“I don’t think a new law is going to fix these problems when it comes to crime,” Baker said.
Less than 24 hours after the deadly shooting, House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, said he is waiting for more information to be released.
“Laws alone don’t solve the problem,” Plocher said Thursday. “We will evaluate the investigation as it unfolds and address that, but we’re not going to dwell on Kansas City today.”
Democrats call that ridiculous and want Republicans to take action.
“If laws didn’t help things, we wouldn’t even be here,” Quade said. “I believe in the Second Amendment, but let’s be clear: no one should lose their life at school, at church, or celebrating a Super Bowl win. It’s time for us as leaders and legislators to do what is right and take action to protect the lives of our children and communities.”
Dozens of House Democrats plan to file a resolution Tuesday that, if approved by the General Assembly, would allow voters to decide if local counties and the cities of Kansas City and St. Louis should be allowed to make their own laws regarding firearms.
House Majority Leader Jon Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, said the House will no longer take up legislation that would allow guns on public transit and in churches. Another bill that was shelved would exempt guns and ammunition from sales tax. Patterson said Monday that it would be inappropriate following the tragedy in Kansas City.
Baker disagrees with Patterson’s decision, saying debate still needs to happen on those bills.
“I understand when it comes to these kinds of things and people are talking about it and it’s an emotional issue and lives are being affected, but we still need to have that debate,” Baker said. “The bottom line is that the criminals are carrying guns on public transportation and you have law-abiding citizens in that case that do not have the right and the ability to protect themselves, and I think that’s problematic.”
Last year, the Missouri House voted down a provision that would have prohibited minors from carrying guns without supervision. All but one Republican voted against it.