By AP/KWMU
Jefferson City, MO – State Representative Larry Crawford, the lead sponsor of Missouri's new concealed guns law, received a permit Monday to carry a concealed weapon.
Crawford got the permit from the Moniteau County sheriff as a result of last Thursday's state Supreme Court ruling upholding the Legislature's right to legalize concealed weapons.
That same ruling, however, also declared the law's funding method illegal in counties shown to have new costs not covered by the state.
Some sheriffs have begun taking concealed gun permit applications as a result of the court's ruling. Many others are still setting up a process to do so.
Gun rights supporters said Crawford and his wife, Donna, may be the first people to receive Missouri permits to carry concealed guns.
The St. Louis City Sheriff and County Police are not issuing permits. The Missouri Sheriffs' Association is also urging its members to wait for more legal clarification.