LAWMAKERS: GUN BILL WOULDN'T HIKE CRIME

Local lawmakers who support a bill that would allow private citizens to carry concealed weapons once they obtain a permit are playing down fears that passage of the bill would lead to more violent crime.

The concealed weapons bill will go before the Missouri Senate Criminal Jurisprudence Committee Tuesday for debate.

Three Cape Girardeau-area representatives who voted for the measure say much of the opposition to the concealed weapons amendment is based on unwarranted fears.

Many law enforcement officials have opposed the measure and complained that they weren't given sufficient opportunity to comment on the bill.

But Driskill and Reps. Mary Kasten of Cape Girardeau, David Schwab of Jackson and Ollie Amick of Scott City all said there are adequate safeguards to insure that only "law abiding citizens" who have a legitimate need to carry guns would do so.

"I think it's going to be the ladies who travel late at night; the shopkeepers who close shop and have a bankroll," said Schwab. "A lot of these people are carrying guns now, and I feel like we should make it legal.

"These people aren't going to carry guns all the time, but only on those occasions where they'll need the protection. They're not going to carry their guns into the restaurant or the shopping mall."

Kasten said she doubts the bill would lead to a higher rate of gun purchases by people who don't already own them.

"There's not going to be a mad rush of people going out to buy a gun who didn't have one before," she said. "People who misuse guns and use them in violent ways are going to have to go through fingerprinting, training, and go through a thorough background and mental history check.

"I don't think all the safeguards that are part of the amendment have been pointed out."

Under the bill, county sheriffs could issue licenses to carry concealed weapons to qualified applicants 21 and older. To receive a license, applicants would have to state why they need to carry a concealed weapon. Convicted felons, alcoholics, people insane or physically disabled to the extent they are unable to safely use a gun would be exempt.

Also, a person applying for a permit would have to pay a $100 fee. The bill also prohibits carrying a concealed weapon into any establishment that sells liquor by the drink.

Amick said concealed weapons laws in other states seem to have worked well. He said statistics show that Florida's crime rate has dropped since a similar law was passed there.

"(Rep.) Larry Whitten's a former police officer," Amick said of one of the bill's supporters. "He worked in a major city police department, and he thought it was a pretty well-drafted bill."

The lawmakers also explained that the concealed weapons amendment is only a small part of the total crime bill that essentially was drafted at the request of prosecuting attorneys seeking to better prosecute and convict criminals.

"The bill, all in all, was a very good bill," said Kasten. "It addresses 41 different issues, and, collectively, it's an excellent bill."

Amick said the bill also includes a controversial section giving law enforcement officers greater search and seizure authority.

Kasten said she thinks its important for law-abiding citizens to be allowed to carry concealed weapons for their protection.

She said a survey of prisoners who were put behind bars for crimes involving guns showed a concealed weapons law would have averted the crimes.

"The prisoners said that what a criminal fears most is armed victims," Kasten said.

"In America, we should be able to protect our families and our homes. I do see both sides of it. It's a volatile issue, and like any issue there are two sides.

"But I think the armed criminals already have guns and this simply provides some protection for the law-abiding citizens who feel helpless."

The local representatives said constituent reaction to the bill has been mixed, and Schwab said he wouldn't be surprised if the measure is changed in the Senate before a final vote.

Amick said he's been praised and criticized for his support of the crime bill and the Driskill amendment.

"I think any time you make a change there's going to be some criticism," he said. "I don't see it as that big a thing.

"I've talked to several people, and when I explain a little bit about it and what it will do, they seem to think it's a pretty good bill."

Kasten said she too has received mixed reactions to the legislation.

"You have to try to weigh one advantage over another," she said. "If it begins to be a problem, we can always go back and change the law, but I don't think it will be, quite frankly."