Some Missourians began lining up at 8 a.m. yesterday to apply for permits to carry concealed weapons under a new state law. One roofer who works in rough neighborhoods told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “By the time the police get there, a lot of the time, the crime has been committed and you may be dead.”
Yesterday, Franklin and Jefferson counties near St. Louis joined St. Charles County in accepting applications for permits for concealed guns. St. Charles County began accepting applications about a week ago. The city of St. Louis and St. Louis County have decided not to take applications now. About 100 applicants turned out yesterday in Jefferson County but only about 80 stayed to complete the application process.
A typical applicant’s beliefs: “I think it’s an inherent right, and every law-abiding citizen who is within the approved age should have the right,” said Les Snodgrass of Beaufort, Mo. “I may never actually carry a gun, but I want the right. Until today, the bad guys were the only ones who carried concealed weapons.”
On Feb. 26, the Missouri Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the new law, but not its funding mechanism. The law allows sheriffs to apply up to a $100 fee for training and equipment but not toward the clerical costs of processing the applications and costs associated with records checks and fingerprinting of applicants.