ST. LOUIS — A City of St. Louis bill filed Wednesday would ban the open carrying of firearms for people who do not have a state concealed carry permit — a high-profile attempt to take on criminal activity that has featured the open carrying of long rifles, including downtown.
Alderwoman Cara Spencer, whose new ward includes part of downtown, said she filed Board Bill 29 because it can "have a major impact on the proliferation of guns in our communities."
She explained in a note to other aldermen why she thought the restriction would work in a state with "incredibly lax" gun laws.
"In 2014, the state legislature passed a bill known as a preemption of local laws on guns in Missouri which has been codified as Missouri Revised Statutes 21.750. A careful reading of Section 3, subsection 2 provides that a jurisdiction may prohibit the open carrying of firearms by ordinance except in the case when a person has and displays their concealed carry endorsement ..."
