Imagine that—one Missouri town thinks the presence of firearm-toting strangers might negatively impact tourism.
Last week in Lake Ozark, Missouri, the Board of Alderman voted 4-2 to ban citizens from openly carrying guns, concealed carry permit or no. The town's local police chief first initiated the bill after local business owners expressed concern.
"We've had a tough time over the years promoting Lake Ozark as a family area," said Alderman Larry Buschjost, who voted for the ban. "We want you on the Strip with families, everywhere in Lake Ozark with families. We want you to bring your kids down here and let them loose. For the life of me, I don't understand why I would have to carry any type of gun, concealed or otherwise."
Not surprisingly, some locals are
not happy with the ban.
Raymond Fuller, who says he’s a resident of the United States of America, was the first to formally protest Lake Ozark’s decision to make it unlawful to open carry a firearm in public. He placed several small American flags and one large flag on city right-of-way across from Lake Ozark city hall Wednesday morning.
He also carried a sign that said “2nd Amendment Shall Not Be Infringed.” Another sign nearby said, “Tyranny Begins Here.”
Lake Ozark's open-carry ban might be short-lived. While there's a law in Missouri that's been around for 30 years allowing cities and towns to regulate themselves when it comes to open carry, this year the state Senate passed a measure that would both make cities unable to ban the open carry of firearms to those with concealed carry permits, and would reverse any current local laws denying open carry to permit-holders.
Governor Jay Nixon hasn't said yet whether he will sign the bill.