Despite the fact that President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to defend the Second Amendment, Republicans all across the nation are continuing their efforts to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens to carry firearms.
The latest example of a state taking measures to uphold the Second Amendment came from Missouri, where lawmakers were planning to consider a bill that would hold stores liable for any injuries that a private citizen suffered on premises as a result of not being allowed to carry their firearm, The Joplin Globe reported.
This bill, which would only apply to private and commercial businesses, would effectively strip the right of a business to proclaim itself as a “gun-free zone” without consequences.
The only people who would be able to sue under this new bill would be those with concealed carry permits.
Rep. Mike Moon, who pre-filed the bill, explained that the measure would allow victims of crimes to sue an entity that was partly responsible for their injury as it is sometimes difficult to sue the person who pulled the trigger.
“What would happen if a third party came on and committed a crime and there was bodily injuries sustained to the patrons? Who is liable? And as I’m talking to legal minds — attorneys particularly — apparently there’s still a lot of gray area there on who’s actually responsible,” he explained.
KSHB noted that Moon also referenced the infamous Aurora, Colorado, movie massacre as an example of how gun-free zones can attract those seeking to commit mass murder.
If the bill does pass Missouri’s legislature, it may actually have a chance of being signed into law. The Springfield New-Leader noted that the incoming Republican governor would be more friendly to these sorts of bills than the outgoing Democrat governor.
If this bill becomes law, it will undoubtedly touch off a fierce debate over whether the state or federal government should have the power to regulate what private businesses do in such a fashion.