Battle over guns, voter ID may not be over

Jessica Coleman, right, leaves Sen. Doug Libla's office as she and members of the group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America visit with individual legislators in their Capitol offices Wednesday.
Jessica Coleman, right, leaves Sen. Doug Libla's office as she and members of the group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America visit with individual legislators in their Capitol offices Wednesday.

Opponents of bills changing Missouri's concealed carry laws and creating a photo identification requirement for voting said Wednesday their fights are not finished - even though Gov. Jay Nixon's vetoes of both bills were overridden during Wednesday's veto session.

Becky Morgan, of Webster Groves, helped organize a morning rally urging lawmakers to sustain Nixon's veto of the bill allowing Missourians to get weapons and conceal them without having to meet the current law's background checks or training requirements.

"There's the elections in November," she told reporters after the morning rally. "Anybody who (supports) this bill, who votes for an override, they're going to be hearing from us during their election leading up to November.

"People will die if this goes on the books."

Morgan also said her group - Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America - will be back in January, "ready to battle any other dangerous legislation that is proposed."

Several law enforcement groups, including the police chiefs and sheriffs associations, had opposed the override.

But the gun bill's sponsor, Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown, said he had heard mostly support from law officers, but discussions with them had revealed other problems in the criminal justice system, including issues with too many suspended sentences in the metropolitan areas.

Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard, R-Joplin, reminded reporters both major parties' governor candidates - Democrat Chris Koster and Republican Eric Greitens - have said they would have signed the bill instead of vetoing it.

"To me, that is a pretty good message," Richard said.

Senate Floor Leader Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, agreed.

"I did not have an overwhelming reach out from the law enforcement communities in my area, saying they were concerned with the bill," Kehoe said. "I probably had more law enforcement officers in my area say they liked the bill than said they didn't like the bill."

Kehoe also was pleased with the override of the photo voter ID bill.

"We still believe very strongly that's a key issue for our voters and for our electorate," he explained. "And we think that's a reasonable bill."

Richard expects the Missouri law to be challenged if voters also approve the proposed amendment in November, "based on what's going on around the country."

Like other GOP leaders, he hopes the new bill and proposed amendment are "sufficient enough to make the courts happy. That's why we went the extra mile."

New Minority Leader Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors, said lawsuits are being considered, but she didn't know if any would be filed.

Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, voted against overriding Nixon's veto on a bill allowing people to be on paid leave only for a limited time before there is a hearing.

Otherwise, Mid-Missouri Sens. Jeanie Riddle, R-Mokane, Kehoe and Schaefer voted to override all of the bills where an override was requested.