Bill proposes changing rules on guns in church

Firearms in churches are not acceptable under current Missouri law unless you have permission from, or are employed by the church. A House bill could allow concealed carry permit holders to bring guns into their house of worship.

Currently, churches and other houses of worship can either forbid any firearms inside the building or could allow certain individuals to carry. Those individuals need to either receive permission from the pastor or be employed by the church.

House Bill 1382 would allow for churches and houses of worship to choose a third option: allowing those with concealed carry licenses to be armed without consulting any church staff.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. Rocky Miller, a Republican from Osage Beach, who defended the bill before the General Laws Committee during a public hearing Tuesday evening.

By requiring permission from the church, “that transfers part or all of the liability to the church,” Miller said. “Some churches don’t like that, and some insurance companies don’t like that.”

On the topic on gun regulations, Miller said, “Putting more restrictions on guns does not give guns to good people. It just makes sure that bad people have more guns.”