Steven Mace
02-14-2002, 03:20 PM
Senate panel hears weapons bill
Published Wednesday, February 13, 2002
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) - Missourians who carelessly leave weapons around when children are present would be fined $500 under a bill heard today by a Senate panel.
The legislation, known as the Children’s Firearm Access Prevention Act, would punish those who allow children under the age of 17 to have access to weapons and ammunition.
Under the bill, people could face fines when they know or should have known that a child could gain access to their weapons.
"What I’m concerned about is a child dying," said Sen. Betty Sims, the bill’s sponsor.
The bill contains exceptions such as when children gain access to guns that were stored in secure cases or with safety devices, after breaking and entering or when adults had no reason to believe children would be in the area.
There also are exceptions for children who use guns in self-defense, hunting or agriculture purposes or who take guns from active duty police or military members.
Sims said 13 children were killed in Missouri in cases where they had access to weapons in 1999, while another 16 died in 1997.
"This bill is about kids killing kids," Sims told the Senate Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. She said at least 20 states have similar laws and that incidents of accidental shootings of children fell in those areas.
Sen. Harold Caskey, a committee member and longtime supporter of gun rights, said he was concerned about enforcement of the law.
He quipped that perhaps "storm troopers" and "homeland enforcement troopers" resembling the Nazi SS would be best for the job.
"How are you going to defend your home if you can’t load a gun?" asked Caskey, D-Butler.
http://www.showmenews.com/2002/Feb/20020213News024.asp
Steve Mace
Published Wednesday, February 13, 2002
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) - Missourians who carelessly leave weapons around when children are present would be fined $500 under a bill heard today by a Senate panel.
The legislation, known as the Children’s Firearm Access Prevention Act, would punish those who allow children under the age of 17 to have access to weapons and ammunition.
Under the bill, people could face fines when they know or should have known that a child could gain access to their weapons.
"What I’m concerned about is a child dying," said Sen. Betty Sims, the bill’s sponsor.
The bill contains exceptions such as when children gain access to guns that were stored in secure cases or with safety devices, after breaking and entering or when adults had no reason to believe children would be in the area.
There also are exceptions for children who use guns in self-defense, hunting or agriculture purposes or who take guns from active duty police or military members.
Sims said 13 children were killed in Missouri in cases where they had access to weapons in 1999, while another 16 died in 1997.
"This bill is about kids killing kids," Sims told the Senate Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee. She said at least 20 states have similar laws and that incidents of accidental shootings of children fell in those areas.
Sen. Harold Caskey, a committee member and longtime supporter of gun rights, said he was concerned about enforcement of the law.
He quipped that perhaps "storm troopers" and "homeland enforcement troopers" resembling the Nazi SS would be best for the job.
"How are you going to defend your home if you can’t load a gun?" asked Caskey, D-Butler.
http://www.showmenews.com/2002/Feb/20020213News024.asp
Steve Mace