ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Board of Aldermen approved a new ordinance to regulate open-carry weapons in the city.
The board voted 14-0 in favor of Board Bill 29. Alderwoman Shameem Clark Hubbard was absent from the meeting. The bill now heads to Mayor Tishaura Jones' desk.
The bill would outlaw "openly carrying or displaying any firearm readily capable of lethal use within the City unless the person possesses a valid concealed carry endorsement or permit." Violators will be issued an ordinance violation.
Punishment for adults could include a $500 fine, 30 days in prison or community service. Minors could be fined up to $500 or sentenced to community service.
Alderwoman Cara Spencer, who introduced the bill, said last week that the legislation won't be an immediate fix.
“This is not going to overnight address the violence in our communities, but it is a tool,” Spencer said in a July 14 board meeting. “It is a path forward.”
The bill has an emergency clause, meaning it would take effect immediately if approved.
Another bill passed during Thursday's meeting would require police to hand out business cards with identifying information to everyone they stop and ask for consent to search without a warrant. The bill, Board Bill 82, was sponsored by Rasheen Aldridge.
“My fear is that, especially being a person of color, when it comes to law enforcement those interactions aren’t always pretty, to say the least,” Aldridge said in a press conference last week.
Board Bill 82 would take effect 180 days after its passage.