Vote spurs gun sales, possible Planned Parenthood lawsuit
Published Sept. 16, 2003
Sheriff's departments and Planned Parenthood organizations across the state are going to have to make some changes.
On Thursday, the General Assembly overrode Gov. Bob Holden's vetoes of a bill allowing people to carry concealed weapons and another bill requiring a 24-hour waiting period for abortions.
Target Masters, a firearms retail store and indoor firing range, has experienced an increase in merchandise sales since the bill was passed, operations manager Doug Grindstaff said.
"We've had a tremendous increase in sales," he said. "We've sold quite a few handguns. We've been fighting and waiting 13 years for this to pass."
Citizens, who must be at least 23 years old, will need to register for permits for their concealed weapons through county sheriff's departments. Adjusting to the changes will take some time, said Maj. O.J. Stone of the Boone County Sheriff's Department.
"This year will be the toughest to get through as changes are made," he said. "We have to come up with an application form, and the permit process will need some ironing out to make sure everything is correct with the statute. We will also need to develop a database to identify those with permits for concealed weapons."
Adjusting to the new bill also will require a lot of money and man-hours.
"A lot of people around the state will be involved," Stone said. "It's hard to estimate costs now as we're just getting started, but one example of some of the work is that every person who wishes to carry a concealed weapon needs to be fingerprinted. It will be substantial work."
Some object to this bill, saying carrying concealed weapons will not decrease violence. However, Grindstaff said similar laws have worked in 44 other states.
"We hope it will be a deterrent to crime," Stone said. "Other states with similar laws have seen remarkable drops in crime. Our hope is that this will be one of many laws keeping our citizens safe."
Grindstaff said an eight-hour course is required for people wanting to carry concealed weapons. The classes offered at Target Masters will be more in-depth than before, he said.
Planned Parenthood fights against new law
The new abortion law passed by the legislature has met staunch objections from Planned Parenthood. The group plans to challenge the law in court, said Peter Brownlie, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri.
"We're quite disappointed" we felt the veto was the right decision," he said. "We are confident that we will receive an injunction against the implementation of the law."
The new law requires women seeking abortions to consult with a doctor and undergo an examination 24 hours before receiving an abortion.
One of Planned Parenthood's reasons for seeking an injunction is that the law does not outline what a doctor is supposed to discuss with patients.
"It's impossible to tell what a physician has to do to follow the law," Brownlie said.
Missouri Right to Life, a group that opposes abortion rights, said the law doesn't outline what doctors are supposed to discuss because it will vary among women.
"The doctors decide what information is pertinent to discuss with patients regarding how their body will be affected by an abortion," Executive Director Patty Skain said.
Missouri Right to Life is "delighted" the abortion bill passed, Skain said.
"(The law) protects women," she said. "It guarantees all women will have a consultation with a doctor and they will have time to reflect. The bill is about counseling. It will allow time for women to absorb information."
Women already have to sign consent forms before an abortion, Brownlie said.
"It's clearly to make it more difficult for women to have abortions," he said. "I think it's a very sad statement when our elected officials decide to put barriers between women and their constitutional rights."