A Kansas City-area woman will continue to push Missouri lawmakers to pass tougher penalties for celebratory gunfire.
On the 4th of July in 2011, 12-year-old Blair Shanahan Lane was shot in the neck by a bullet fired into the air from a nearby home and she died minutes later. Blair’s Law was part of this year’s crime bill which Governor Mike Parson vetoed over two other provisions he disagreed with. Michele Shanahan DeMoss, Blair’s mother, says she understands why the governor vetoed the bill.
“He had concerns and…didn’t feel that moving forward with that specifically…was good for the people, good for everybody,” DeMoss said. “So, I understand. I wouldn’t say that it wasn’t disappointing from my side.”
She hopes lawmakers will override the governor’s veto on September 13th, the date of this year’s veto session.
“Absolutely, yes,” she said. “If they can override the veto and take care of what is needed to be taken care of, then absolutely.”
Otherwise, she’ll be back in Jefferson City next year working to persuade lawmakers to pass tougher penalties for celebratory gunfire, and she wants the next version of Blair’s Law to be a stand-alone bill and not attached to a larger bill that could get vetoed again.
Governor Parson has said he supports Blair’s Law, but vetoed the overall crime bill over concerns that one of the provisions could have enabled some sex offenders to have their records expunged. He also opposed a provision that would have expanded the amount of money the state would have to pay to those wrongly convicted and imprisoned, and expand eligibility to those exonerated without DNA evidence having played a role.
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