Reach of ban under debate

A proposal to prohibit concealed weapons on county-owned property produced disagreement among Boone County commissioners Tuesday night.

The order would have gone into effect with Missouri’s new concealed gun law on Oct. 11. Existing policy bans weapons on county property but does not specifically mention concealed guns.

Commissioners couldn’t decide what property and buildings should be included in the ban.

Northern District Commissioner Skip Elkin said he sees no need to prohibit guns on county property other than the courthouse. He cited the fairgrounds and the county-owned portion of the MKT Trail as places where the ban is unnecessary.

Elkin also noted that a person carrying a gun while doing business downtown might want to stop by the Boone County Government Center to pay taxes but would be unable to do so without being inconvenienced.

Southern District Commissioner Karen Miller, however, wants to ban concealed weapons on all county property, primarily to protect employees from irate people packing guns.

Presiding Commissioner Keith Schnarre found some middle ground, saying the county might want to ban concealed guns in its downtown buildings but not on all its property.

The commission sent the order back to county attorney John Patton for revision and will allow public comment on the policy at regularly scheduled meetings.