The House General Laws Committee is looking at a bill that would protect businesses from getting sued if criminal activity against the business resulted in killing or injuring a patron.
Sponsor Stanley Cox (R-Sedalia) is sponsoring the measure, which also lets patrons keep guns in their cars.
Missourians for Personal Safety says the bill just makes common sense, and the National Rifle Association agrees. However, the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys says the bill is just a veiled attempt to insulate businesses from litigation. Rep. Mike Colona (D-St. Louis), an attorney himself, he says these are decisions better left to juries …. not legislators.
Cox uses as an example an incident where a Starbucks was robbed and a patron who chased the burglar was struck by his car in the parking lot and later died. His family sued Starbucks. (Read the article here.)
Another legislator wants to expand Missouri’s concealed carry law to allow open carry regardless of any other ordinance. Rep. Paul Fitzwater (R-Potosi) says law-abiding citizens with concealed carry permits should not be at risk if their gun is showing, or if they’re in an area that doesn’t permit concealed carry.
Other bills before the committee looked at employer discrimination against concealed carry permit holders, and lowering the age to get a permit from 21 to 18.
The bills being considered are: HB 1319, 1369, 1045, 1621.
AUDIO: Jessica Machetta reports (1:32)