The back-and-forth over the crime bill is the latest in a series of controversies over gun
The back-and-forth over the crime bill is the latest in a series of controversies over gun control in conservative Missouri. Last year the legislature passed a state law banning enforcement of federal gun laws that officials believe violate the U.S. Constitution's protection of a citizen's right to bear arms. A state law, for example, allows people of any age to openly carry weapons in many locations, even though federal law prohibits ownership of handguns by minors. The amendment's author, Representative Donna Baringer, a Democrat from St. Louis, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters on Thursday. The Associated Press reported that she said she made the proposal to stop "14-year-olds walking down the middle of the street in the city of St. Louis carrying AR-15s." The broader crime bill passed the House of Representatives and will now be considered by the state senate.