KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced his office will file a lawsuit against Jackson County over a gun ordinance recently passed by the county's legislature.
The ordinance, introduced by Jackson County Legislator Manny Abarca, prevents 18- to 21-year-olds from buying pistols or semiautomatic rifles.
"I will be filing suit against Jackson County for their illegal attempt to violate Missourians' right to keep and bear arms," Bailey posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Bailey's office also ordered the county to preserve all records and communications from the legislature related to the measure.
The ordinance was opposed and even vetoed by County Executive Frank White, Jr., who warned the legislature it could open the county to legal battles like the one Bailey threatened.
Still, the legislature voted to overturn his White's veto, a move he called "disappointing."
White released a statement on Bailey's intent to sue the county, saying he wasn't surprised.
"This announcement comes as no surprise. From the start, I made it clear that this ordinance violated Missouri law," White said in part in a statement. "While I strongly disagree with the state’s preemption of local gun regulations — because I believe communities should have the ability to protect themselves—ignoring the law doesn’t lead to progress. It leads to predictable legal challenges and wasted resources, and unfortunately, this ordinance will do more harm to gun safety advocacy than doing nothing at all."
On Tuesday, White said his office was receiving concerns about the ordinance and called on the legislature to amend the measure to add protections for young hunters at a Wednesday meeting.
Abarca and other legislators subsequently skipped the meeting to protest an ongoing disagreement on how to allocate over $70 million in ARPA funding.
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