The future for fireworks wars in Columbia looked grim at a Boone County Commission work session Tuesday.
The work session’s purpose was to discuss ways to prevent fireworks wars from taking place in the future to protect both citizens and first responders.
Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey said the department needs the authority to enforce laws already on the books. Under the current statute, Boone County does not have the authority to regulate fireworks or the sale of fireworks because the county does not operate under a charter form of government.
Two legislative solutions were proposed at the session. Both would have to pass through the Missouri legislature in the form of bills.
County Counselor C.J. Dykhouse said one option would be to revise the law to give first-class counties like Boone County the authority to regulate fireworks and their sale. But state Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, was concerned that this solution would leave differently classified counties unprotected if the fireworks war moved out of Boone County.
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