Holden wants to make it a felony to carry weapons onto schools

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Bob Holden called on the legislature Thursday to pass a law making it a felony to carry a concealed weapon onto school property.

The legislature voted Sept. 11 to override Holden's veto of a bill allowing concealed weapons, and the new law will likely take effect Saturday. A St. Louis judge hearing a challenge to the law hopes to decide Friday on a request to put the law on hold.

At a news conference at Kansas City's Faxon Montessori Elementary School, Holden said the new law is full of loopholes and he intends to close any that pose a danger to children.

"I am deeply concerned about the safety of our children in schools," Holden said. "That is why I vetoed this legislation."

He said, "This ill-conceived legislation has many flaws, but one of the most significant is the way it weakens our safe school laws. I call on legislators to immediately fix this problem when the legislative session begins in January."

Rep. Larry Crawford, R-Centertown, said Holden is being misinformed on the contents of the conceal and carry law. But he stopped short of saying he would oppose the governor's call for some changes to the law.

"It's obvious he doesn't understand how things work at all," Crawford said. "I don't think he's getting good advice on the issue."

He said federal law forbids guns in schools without permission, and that trumps the state statute. Besides, he said, people who go through training required by the law to obtain a permit aren't the ones who are most likely to commit crimes with weapons.

"Law-abiding citizens are not the problem," Crawford said. "People who want to commit crimes are the problem. And people who commit mayhem tend to disregard laws. The only thing that's going to stop them is guards and metal scanners."

Under the new law, carrying a concealed weapon onto school property is forbidden unless a school board or school official gives permission. Anyone violating that ban, however, faces a maximum penalty of $100 -- and only after the person refuses to leave and law enforcement is called to intervene.

"It is not a criminal offense for someone with a conceal and carry permit to carry a gun into a school," Holden said. "It's not even a misdemeanor under this law."

Previously it was a felony to carry a weapon onto school property, he said, but the Legislature intentionally removed such criminal sanctions from the law. Holden wants lawmakers to pass a "Guns-free Schools Act," making it a Class D felony punishable by up to four years in prison for carrying a concealed weapon onto school property.

Holden's proposal includes all school property, including school buses and sports venues -- places where he said emotions often run high.

"Lori (Hauser Holden) and I have spent enough time at Little League games to understand the danger of bringing guns to those games," he said.

Earlier this week, Holden said he will draft emergency rules to ban concealed weapons in all state-owned or operated buildings to ensure the safety of state employees and the public.