JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri House on Monday gave final approval to a proposal that would allow Missourians to carry guns on public transit.
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Adam Schnelting, R-St. Charles, allows concealed carry permit holders to bring firearms on publicly funded transportation systems. The proposal would not apply to Amtrak trains.
The legislation passed with a vote of 124-32.
Schnelting said the legislation helps protect Second Amendment rights and allows for self-defense.
Rep. Wiley Price, D-St. Louis, told Schnelting that people suffering from mental illness often take public transit, and he asked what would happen if a legal gun carrier, unprepared for that situation, felt threatened and pulled a gun on a crowded and bumpy bus.
"What do you think the chances are somebody else in the general public gets hurt if we pass a law like this?" Price asked.
"I know that the temperament on the bus in the summer in St. Louis can be kind of hostile," even without adding firearms to the mix, Price added later. Even professionals with much more training don't always make the right call in high-pressure situations, he said.
Schnelting asked if Price could name any examples of a concealed carry permit holder firing on someone with a mental illness or disability.
Instead, Schnelting said, there are records of weapons being seized from public transit in Missouri.
"People on the bus already have weapons," he said. "And it's the criminals."
The House voted to cut debate short immediately after Price and Schnelting's exchange.
The proposal is House Bill 52.
