Gun laws among targets of pre-filed Missouri House bills
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Monday marks the first day Missouri lawmakers can begin prefiling bills for the General Assembly's 2020 session, and more than 300 bills had been pre-filed in the House by 4 p.m.
To find a list of the 2020 pre-filed House bills, click here.
Rep. Chuck Basye (R-Rocheport) expects big topics for this session will be workforce development and infrastructure.
"I think those are two critical things to get Missourians working, or keep them working," Basye said. "And our roads and bridges definitely need a lot of attention. I'm not a fan of taxes but I'm hopeful we will able to get a clean bill that can articulate a position of a clean gas tax that can go to roads and bridges."
Rep. Kip Kendrick (D-Columbia) filed six bills Monday, including a fuel tax increase that would go toward fixing Missouri's roads. He said the state should focus on a long-term solution for infrastructure funding issues.
"I don't necessarily see that happening in an election year, but this 2-cent fuel tax increase accompanied with a $450 million bonding proposal is a step in the right direction," Kendrick said.
Basye filed three bills Monday, including one that would make using a defaced gun a felony instead of a misdemeanor offense.
Rep. Richard Brown (D-Kansas City) filed two bills regarding guns. One of those would repeal the state law that prohibits local political subdivisions from creating gun restrictions.
Brown told ABC17 News that this is the second time he has filed the bill. He said the bill hopes to combat the uptick in violence in communities across the state.
Kendrick believes there should be more conversations about gun reform for the state. "I'm not sure if that will get much traction in a very conservative General Assembly," Kendrick said.
Basye said he would have to read the legislation by Brown, but off the bat didn't support the bill.
"I think that statute is in place for a reason," Basye said. "If you start letting individual communities start doing something out state law, it would make it very difficult on law-abiding gun owners to traverse through those areas without getting in trouble."
The session begins Jan. 8.
