NEWS RELEASE

MISSOURI ANTI-GUNNERS DISTORT FACTS, PROMOTE HYSTERIA ON CONCEALED CARRY, SAYS CCRKBA

"Opponents of concealed carry are planning to challenge the new law, arguing that it unconstitutionally imposes a requirement on counties without providing funding to cover the increased costs," said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. "That's a lie, and they know it because the new statute allows county sheriffs to charge up to $100 to cover the cost of processing each application and issue the license."

CCRKBA Executive Director Joe Waldron chided police in St. Louis, noting, "They're taking out advertisements in the newspaper, urging citizens to behave themselves. They're distributing signs to local businesses that tell the public 'No guns allowed.' If they are so strapped for cash, as the lawsuit will reportedly argue, then why are they spending money on newspaper advertising and signs designed to thwart a law they are sworn to uphold?"

Both gun rights leaders said police in St. Louis, through their advertising and sign distribution antics, are essentially trying to scare the public about the new gun law.

"They're promoting public hysteria," Gottlieb stated. "That's like shouting 'Fire!' in a theater. If police and public officials are so fearful of the citizens they serve, maybe they ought to find other jobs, because their duty is to protect our civil rights, and under the Missouri Constitution, bearing arms is a civil right. This new law enables more Missouri citizens to exercise that right in a responsible manner."

Waldron also questioned whether Gov. Bob Holden is committing malfeasance by supporting the lawsuit and a petition drive to repeal the new statute.

"Bob Holden opposed the law and vetoed it. But once the Legislature overrode that veto, his duty is to uphold the law and defend the rights of Missouri citizens under their Constitution," Waldron stated. "If he can't stomach that, then he should step down and register as an anti-gun lobbyist. After all, he's been pretty much abusing the authority and prestige of his office to essentially lobby against the firearms rights of his constituents. He ought to make it official."

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is one of the nation's premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.

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