By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – The city of St. Louis and St. Louis County are the only two jurisdictions in the state that don't issue concealed gun permits.
But a bill passed by the Missouri Senate Tuesday could change that.
The legislation, now on the way to the governor's desk, would allow sheriffs to use funds from the permits' application fee to pay for the program.
St. Louis City Sheriff spokesman Mike Guzy says the office did not issue permits before because taking money from other city funds to cover expenses would likely have led to a lawsuit.
But he says the office has been prepared to issue permits for the last year.
"Now that the law has been amended, as soon as the governor signs it and enacts it, we're ready to go," Guzy said.
The legislation also allows local governments to seek reimbursement from the state if application fees don't cover the cost of administering permits.
St. Louis County officials say they plan to look into the changes if the governor signs the bill.