Missouri’s Senators have split their votes on a proposal to let people with concealed weapons permits carry their guns into other states with similar measures in place.  The proposal has come up two votes short of the 60 it needed to be added to the defense authorization bill.

Sen. McCaskill says she was not against letting people carry concealed weapons. But she is against requiring one state to accept another state’s laws that might differ from its own. She says it would be a foot in the door that could allowVermont’s laws on gay marriage to be enforced in Missouri, which has a constitutional provision against gay marriage.

McCaskill says many of the supporters of the proposal are advocates for states’ rights, but they want to override states’ rights on carrying concealed weapons.

Sen. Bond voted in favor of the amendment, which he says "unfortunately failed."

The amendment would allow "law-abiding citizens to exercise to bear arms in states with similar measures in place for concealed firearms," he said. "It does not establish national standards for concealed carry, it does not provide for national carry permit."

Bond’s comments
McCaskill’s comments