JEFFERSON CITY - The Missouri House gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a bill that would legalize the carrying of concealed weapons for the first time since 1875.

For gun-rights supporters, easy passage of the proposal signaled that after 12 years of effort, this might be the year that the legislature put the bill on the governor's desk.

The Republican majority, joined by a smattering of mostly rural Democrats, repeatedly turned back efforts to narrow the bill. Proponents killed amendments to send the matter to a statewide vote, to give counties local option and to exempt Jackson and St. Louis counties.

Opponents, recalling that Missouri voters had rejected concealed handguns in a public vote in 1999, called the proposal an arrogant repudiation of the will of the voters.

"This is a slap in the face to the public, to say we're going to sneak in a bill that goes in the opposite direction of the way people voted," said Rep. Yvonne Wilson, a Kansas City Democrat. [Ed. Then why do you keep asking the public to increase taxes after the public has said no?]

Rep. Robert Schaaf, a St. Joseph Republican, said he believed in the value of allowing people to carry concealed guns. But he said he believed even more in the value of letting the people decide.

"We should not think ourselves better than the people who sent us here," Schaaf said. "Once they have spoken, it's not our place to object to that....They, and only they, can reverse their decision."

Supporters noted that the 1999 referendum passed in 104 of the state's 114 counties, though it lost overall, 52 percent to 48 percent. They said people in urban areas and suburbs who voted against the 1999 proposal had been misinformed and manipulated by gun-control advocates.

"Proposition B (in 1999) passed overwhelmingly in counties where we had a fair press and people understood the issue," said Rep. Larry Crawford, the bill's sponsor.

Crawford, a Centertown Republican, argued against putting concealed guns to another vote. The 45-page bill contains many safeguards for the public that cannot be summarized in the brief message that appears on the ballot, he said.

"You can't put it in 50 words so soccer moms and busy men and women can understand it," Crawford said. [Ed. Nor can you broadcast distortions and dissembling as well as the Star.]

Other supporters argued that voters elected lawmakers to make decisions, not to shirk their duty and send the issue back to voters. They said the current proposal has far more restrictions than the 1999 referendum, which make it more palatable to the public.

In addition, voters currently would be more likely to approve of concealed guns in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, supporters said.

Rep. Melba Curls, a Kansas City Democrat, said the bill reflected a bit of paranoia on the part of supporters. State law already allows people to freely possess guns in their homes and in open view in their cars. Curls said that made sense.

"I want to be able to see the gun so I can stay out of its way," she said. [Ed.  Oh my, that gun may just jump out and bite her?  Ms. Curls says she doesn't recognize the difference between tools and people?] 

The proposal to send the matter to a statewide vote was defeated 93-60. Other proposals to narrow the bill were defeated by even more lopsided margins. The bill was approved on a voice vote. It could come up for final approval as early as this week.

The proposal sets up a potential showdown with Democratic Gov. Bob Holden, who last year threatened to veto concealed-weapons legislation. Holden spokeswoman Mary Still said the governor thinks the issue has already been decided.

"The governor believes voters have already spoken and spoken clearly," Still said. "He respects their decision."

The bill would allow anyone 21 or older to keep handguns in the glove box or under the seat of their car. Current law requires guns to be in plain view. The bill also would allow most people to apply for a permit to carry a weapon concealed under their clothing or in a purse.

Permits, valid for three years, would be available to adults who are at least 21 and have lived in Missouri for at least six months. Permits would be denied to anyone with a felony conviction or a misdemeanor conviction involving a gun or a bomb.

Applications would be denied if, in the previous five years, the applicant had a misdemeanor conviction for a crime of violence or more than one conviction for drunken driving or drug possession.

Permits could not be issued to anyone who had been found mentally incompetent or who had been committed to a mental institution in the previous five years. The bill also would allow people who have concealed-carry permits issued by another state or local government to carry concealed guns in Missouri.

Applicants also would have to undergo at least eight hours of training and demonstrate that they could handle a revolver and a semiautomatic handgun. In a test, they would have to hit a target at a distance of 21 feet with at least 15 of 20 shots.

Concealed guns would not be allowed in police stations, jails, bars, hospitals, day care centers, schools, casinos, airports or sports arenas seating more than 5,000 persons. Private property owners could prohibit concealed weapons on their premises by posting a sign to that effect.

The public would be able to challenge a person's permit if the permit-holder did not meet all the requirements. But such action would be rare because, like the guns people could carry, all records pertaining to the permits would be hidden from the public. [Ed:  Although this is an ostensible "News" story, the last sentence has the characteristics of editorial comment.]

The legislation is HB349.