JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A Missouri Republican lawmaker says a legislative fix is needed to ensure the state's prohibition on felons carrying guns won't be thrown out.
Rep. Kevin Austin, of Springfield, says the Legislature should move quickly to remedy a problem created by a court ruling involving Amendment 5, which expanded Missouri's constitutional protections for gun rights.
The measure also gave legislators the ability to limit gun rights for "convicted violent felons."
A St. Louis judge said in a ruling last month that's being challenged that Missouri's law barring all felons from possessing guns was unconstitutional because it was too broad.
Austin now is sponsoring a bill that would define the list of crimes included as a "violent felony." He says that could ensure guns remain banned for at least some felons.