Missouri News

Missouri attorney general says he’ll sue Jackson County to stop new gun restrictions

KCUR | By Kavahn Mansouri

Published November 25, 2024 at 12:36 PM CST

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey speaks during a press conference on anti-trans measures on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, at the Old St. Louis Post Office Building in Downtown. In September, Bailey’s office filed a lawsuit against the Wentzville School District Board saying they held discussions regarding policies around the use of bathrooms in private meetings rather than open to the public.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said on Friday he plans to file suit against Jackson County over a recently passed gun ordinance.

Bailey announced on X that he would sue over an ordinance barring the purchase, possession or transfer of weapons by people 21 and younger. Exemptions in the bill allow people 21-and-under to have a weapon where they live, at their business or on any property that is under their control.

“The right to keep and bear arms is inalienable,” Bailey said in a statement. “To that end, I will be filing suit against Jackson County for their illegal attempt to violate Missourians’ Second Amendment rights.”

Legislators proposed the ordinance after the Super Bowl parade shooting in Kansas City in February.

Jackson County First District Legislator Manny Abarca, who sponsored the ordinance, responded to Bailey’s announcement by saying police in Jackson County can’t do their jobs due to current state gun laws.

“You stop a car full of kids, there’s a gun, everyone’s a teenager, law enforcement cannot take that weapon from them right now in the state of Missouri, they can’t even talk about it,” Abarca said. “That is ridiculous.”

Abarca said he hopes to meet with Bailey and other state leaders to speak about common sense gun reform. He criticized the prospect of a “lengthy legal battle.”

Jackson County Executive Frank White vetoed the ordinance earlier this month due to concerns it would spark costly lawsuits against the county. But legislators overrode his veto on Monday.

“My duty as County Executive is to serve within the legal boundaries that govern us,” White wrote in a statement reacting to the override. “Our resources should be directed toward real, effective public safety measures, not wasted on legal battles over laws that are unlikely to withstand judicial scrutiny.”

In his statement, Bailey instructed Jackson County to preserve all records of communications between legislators who, he said, “may have conspired to pass an unlawful and dangerous ordinance for mere political gain.”