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Call to Action: Guns in Churches to be Heard Today

The General Laws Committee of the Missouri House of Representatives posted late yesterday afternoon that they will hear HB 328 at their 4:30 hearing TODAY, Tuesday, January 28. This bill will force churches to allow anyone with a concealed carry permit to carry their weapon in the church unless a large sign is displayed by the church forbidding it. This would replace the current law that forbids weapons in churches without the express permission of the minister or other governing body. The bill also lowers the concealed carry permit age to 18 and states that guns may be carried on public transportation except Amtrak, which is federally governed. This is dangerous to all who ride city busses or other public transport. We have fought a similar bill for several years running.
Two other dangerous bills will also be heard, both of which are “anti red flag law” bills, which would forbid Missouri from passing Extreme Risk Protection Orders that would allow law enforcement to temporarily remove weapons from those who may be a danger to themselves or others. These are HB 434 and 459.
It’s critical our lawmakers hear from us on these bills. If you happen to be in central MO, having people of faith come to testify will be of utmost importance. They gave us very little time to rally support. If you are there or interested, contact me and I can help you with testimony if needed. We can also submit online testimony to the Missouri House General Laws Committee at the House online portal:
Submit Testimony
It is also important to email or even better call the offices of the members of the General Laws Committee.
Contact Offices

Here is some language Everytown/Moms Demand Action has suggested to use, data driven. We as people of faith should be especially concerned about the Guns in Churches, but we know in Missouri that if we had a red flag law, the guns could have been removed from the shooter at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in St. Louis two years ago.

Regarding HB 328, you can use your own words and examples as to why guns on transit and guns in houses of worship. This bill would vastly expand the places where firearms are legally allowed in Missouri and multiply the public places where families would fear the threat of gun violence and would undermind public safety and continue to weaken Missouri’s already lax gun laws.

Regarding HB 434 and 459

  • Extreme Risk Protection –or Red Flag– laws are critical life saving tools that help keep firearms out of the hands of people who should not have them.
  • Missouri’s rate of gun deaths has increased 59% from 2012 to 2021, compared to a 33% increase nationwide. This means that in 2021 there were 532 more gun deaths than in 2012.
  • In 2021, Missouri signed into law a bill to nullify federal gun safety laws in our state and penalize law enforcement officers for trying to enforce rules that protect Missourians from gun violence. A law which was subsequently ruled unconstitutional by a Federal judge.
  • Missouri’s nullification law and lack of a red flag law also directly contributed to the shooting in 2022 at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, as the shooter’s family pleaded with law enforcement to remove the shooter’s firearms when they noticed warning signs. Police said they felt powerless to remove the shooter’s gun because under Missouri’s nullification law they would be penalized for assisting in the enforcement of a federal gun law. Because Missouri lacked a red flag law, police were unable to directly petition a court for an order requiring the temporary removal of firearms in that situation.

You can learn more about gun violence in Missouri at everystat.org.

Other Background:
● https://www.everytown.org/solutions/extreme-risk-laws/
● https://www.everytown.org/press/red-flag-laws-save-lives-heres-proof/
● https://everytownresearch.org/report/extreme-risk-laws-save-lives/

If you have any questions, contact Tara Bennett; Chair of the Peace and Justice Committee.

This article was submitted by Tara Bennett, Chair of the Peace and Justice Committee.