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Jackson County legislators approved an ordinance that would restrict18 to 21-year-olds from buying pistols or semiautomatic rifles, with a few exceptions.
However, Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. vetoed the measure on Thursday, sending it back to the legislature.
Advocates of the ban say they're not done fighting, as 32% of Kansas City's homicide victims in 2024 were younger than 24. It's a concerning trend groups like Grandparents for Gun Safety want to see go down.
"This can't happen, and yet it does, it keeps happening," group founder Judy Sherry said. "Why would you want somebody whose brain is not finished developing to have access to a firearm?"
Legislator Manny Abarca has been working to pass a law that restricts gun ownership and purchases for anyone under 21. There are exceptions to the rule; anyone under 21 may possess a pistol in the person's residence or business, and those between 18 and 21 may own a semiautomatic rifle if they are attending a firearms safety course, shooting at a range, on the property of a legal guardian or is a member of law enforcement.
The legislation was first brought up after the tragic Chiefs' Superbowl Parade fatal shooting in 2024.
"People are looking for the people to do something and finally here we are, saying we're ready to do it," Abarca said. "We've been looking for pathways of least resistance, but also willing to take on the resistance knowing the outcome could mean a safer community for Jackson County."
However, the proposed ordinance goes directly against Missouri law that an 18-year-old can own a gun. That's one of the multiple reasons Jackson County executive Frank White Jr. vetoed the bill. He also claimed the ordinance is unenforceable and contradictory.
"Despite recent amendments, this ordinance remains fundamentally flawed, unlawful and counterproductive," White Jr. said in a release. "Enacting it would mislead our residents, complicate law enforcement, and expose Jackson County to costly and unwinnable litigation."
The ordinance will now go back before legislators on Monday.
"Frank White's not king of the county," Abarca said. "The legislature will look to override his veto on Monday."
There are potential lawsuits and legal challenges that could come with approving the ordinance. A professor of law at UMKC explained it's unlikely contradicting laws can exist at the same time.
"I think it will be a real uphill battle for the proponents of the ordinance to defend it," Allen Rostron said. "Someone would have to come up with a really creative, clever argument that I and others haven't thought of yet."
It's a battle Abarca explained he's willing to take up in the courts.
"Maybe we need to go to the state and say why aren't you allowing us to govern ourselves when we know what we want to do in Kansas City and Jackson County, and that's regulate guns," Abarca said.
Jackson County executive Frank White Jr. declined an on-camera interview following Thursday's veto announcement.
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