March 26, 2003 Legislative Report

Where are we on LTC reform?

The Missouri House debated and passed HS HCS HB349 on March 6th, by a vote of 111 yes to 42 no. This is the earliest vote on this issue in the twelve years we have debated LTC reform in Missouri. This is also a "veto proof" majority.

The Missouri Senate is poised to act on HS HCS HB349 when the legislature returns. On March 17th, the Senate second read the bill and assigned it to the "Pensions and General Laws" committee.

This is the same Senate committee that heard the senate version of LTC reform, SCS SB83, and sent it to the full senate will a recommendation of "do pass".

It is expected that HS HCS HB349 could be heard by the senate committee as early as Tuesday April 1st. It is also expected to send HS HCS HB349 to the full senate with a recommendation of "do pass" as well.

Since HS HCS HB349 has already been passed by the House, the senate would prefer to debate this bill. That is why SCS SB83 has not been debated by the full senate yet.

The make-up of the senate, when comparing pro-LTC reform senators to anti-LTC reform senators indicates that HS HCS HB349 should pass the senate. IF it indeed passes the senate, the question is if the number will also be "veto proof" and what amendments, if any, the senate will make.

IF HS HCS HB349 is approved by the full senate WITHOUT any amendments, the bill will then go to the governor's desk to await his action [or inaction].

IF HS HCS HB349 is approved by the full senate but WITH amendments, the process then gets a little more complicated. But in essence, when both the Senate and House agree to the same language, the bill goes to the governor's desk to await his action [or inaction].

What can YOU do to help assure passage of HS HCS HB349 -- our current LTC reform effort?

Call and email your senator. Politely say "thank you" for supporting passage of HS HCS HB349 [whether they support it or not] the current License-to-Carry reform bill. ALWAYS be polite, even if the senator or his staff are not. Thank them for their time and follow up your call with a handwritten letter restating your support for LTC reform.

Then please call, fax and/or email the following senators on the "Pensions and General Laws" committee and say "thank you" for their support of HS HCS HB349:

When HS HCS HB349 is passed by the senate committee, I will issue an Alert/Update with instructions on who to contact in the senate before the debate and vote on the floor.

In the meantime...

Please take time to call the Governor's office and tell his staffer that you support License-to-Carry reform. Governor Holden needs to hear from you and that you support passage of LTC reform.

Why?

Governor Holden is apparently taking a position that he is opposed to allowing honest Missourians to defend themselves from criminal attack. This is unfortunate.

Governor Holden's knee-jerk opposition is unfortunate because IF the Governor choses to actually veto the bill, it is honest Missouri men and women who will pay the penalty. Unless the veto is over-ridden [a possibility]it could be one more year in which a Democratic Governor of this state shouts loudly that he does NOT trust the citizens of this state enough to allow them to defend themselves against the violent criminals that he knows are out there.

It could be one more year in which possibly thirty MORE Missourians will be killed because Governor Holden refuses to simply look at the readily available facts from other states that have LTC on the books. That is nearly three hundred and sixty honest Missourians that might be alive today if we had passed LTC reform way back in 1992 when the legislature first debated it.

Governor Holden's apparent blind opposition to LTC is compounded by the simple fact that all he need do is pick up the phone and call any of the governors, both Democratic and Republican, from states that have had this law for years to discover that this type of law works.

Call the Governor's office and politely tell his staff that you support License-to-Carry reform as defined in HS HCS HB349. Politely tell his staff that you hope that Governor Holden will finally take a look at the other thirty-two states with License-to-Carry and know that it is past time for Missouri to have its own law too.

You can call Governor Holden's office at (573) 751-3222 and fax him at (573) 751-1495.

Let Governor Holden hear from you.

As always, be polite with any politicians and their staff... even if they are not polite to you.

Thank them for their time and follow up any phone call with a handwritten letter clearly stating your support for LTC and HS HCS HB349.

Stay tuned and get rested... the "fun" will really begin when the legislature returns from spring break.

Greg Jeffery
Legislative Chairman
Gateway Civil Liberties Alliance, www.gclastl.org
Legislative Coordinator
Missourians for Personal Safety, www.moccw.org
Designated Part-time Spokesman
Western Missouri Shooters Alliance, www.wmsa.net