Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has had his hands full with the crackpot (I seem to be using that word a lot, of late. Perhaps a new one? Wackapoodle? Batwanking?) Republican-dominated state legislature. This week brought his veto of the latest Republican attempt to
defend guns against our dangerous schoolchildren.
The bill would have designated certain school officials as “school protection offers” who would have to complete a 100-hour police training in order to carry a gun. Additionally, the bill would lower the age requirement for concealed weapons from 21 to 19, allow gun owners to carry their weapons openly in the state (despite bans in certain cities), and require public housing authorities to allow their tenants to possess firearms. The bill passed the GOP-controlled legislature in May, but the veto came on the last day Nixon had to act on the legislation.
Missouri Republicans will likely attempt a veto override this fall, which they can get if just
one of the statehouse's Democrats votes with them.
Once again, the outcome of the Sandy Hook massacre has been a surge of new laws demanding more guns in more places. If you saw that coming, you're a better reader of the national mind than I was. I may be an irredeemable pessimist, but even I didn't figure that the summary execution of American elementary school children would result in an ammosexual revolt in which America's gun owners defend their right to take their assault rifles out to dinner, or in someone saying "hmm, we need to get more concealed weapons into the hands of teenagers" or Republican state legislatures generally trying to funnel more arms into their states like they were all playing Ollie North. Good on Gov. Nixon for the veto, but good God, how did we ever reach this point?