Kansas City will clamp down on people openly carrying guns, at least for now, reports the Kansas City Star. At Mayor Sly James' urging, the City Council voted 9-0 yesterday to ban the “open carry” of firearms, saying Kansas City doesn't need any more weapons on the streets. “This is not an environment where we need to have everyone armed to the teeth,” James said. The city's new law, which takes effect in 10 days, may soon be weakened by the state.
That's because the Missouri General Assembly has already approved a bill prohibiting cities from banning open carry for gun permit holders. Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed the bill, but the legislature holds its veto override session Sept. 10, and the bill's sponsor is confident. James said that the open carry ban is one regulatory option cities still have under Missouri's lenient gun laws and that Kansas City should take advantage of that window of opportunity. Although open carry may be just fine for rural areas, James said it is not appropriate for Kansas City.