The legislature in Kansas has overridden a veto of a gun rights omnibus bill.
The Republican-controlled legislature passed House Bill 2058 in April but the Democrat governor, Laura Kelly, vetoed the bill soon after its passing. In a message to lawmakers about the veto Governor Kelly said: “Throughout my time in public office, I have been a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and of Kansans’ right to own firearms. But we can respect and defend the rights of Kansas gun owners while also taking effective steps to keep our children and families safe.”
After the veto the bill was sent back to the Kansas House where it immediately passed again in an 84-39 vote, then it was sent back to the Kansas Senate who passed the bill 31-8 and overturned the veto.
House Bill 2058 aims to fix roadblocks in the permit process that were put in place when the Governor closed the state for Covid-19. The bill also aims to encourage gun safety among the youth by promoting firearm safety courses and the acquisition of a conceal carry permit for those aged 18 to 20. Another major push this bill has is a path to gun rights restoration, the legislation aims to do this by expunging certain convictions.
More about the governor who vetoed the bill from Guns.com:
Kelly, a former state lawmaker representing the Topeka area, ran for governor as a “gun sense candidate” in 2018 with support from billionaire Michael Bloomberg’s Everytown anti-gun group. During the race, Everytown dropped at least $800,000 in ads either backing Kelly or slamming her NRA-endorsed Republican opponent, Kris Kobach.
