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Covering state lawmakers, bills, and policy emerging from Jefferson City.

Lawmaker says constituents can borrow his gun while visiting Missouri Capitol

A flier on Rep. Nick Marshall's Capitol office door offering to let constituents borrow his firearm while visiting.
Marshall Griffin
/
St. Louis Public Radio
A flier on Rep. Nick Marshall's Capitol office door offering to let constituents borrow his firearm while visiting.

A Kansas City-area lawmaker is offering to allow some visitors to the Missouri Capitol to borrow a gun while inside the building.

Rep. Nick Marshall, R-Parkville, is not happy with the decision to resume using metal detectors for anyone visiting the Missouri Capitol.

He's posted a flier on his Capitol office door, along with an identical post on his Facebook page, letting visitors know they can borrow a firearm from his office "for the duration" of their visit.

The only requirements are that visitors possess a conceal-carry endorsement or permit and that they live in Marshall's legislative district.

He also decried the return of metal detectors in a Facebook post dated Jan. 10:

There's no word yet on whether anyone in the Greitens administration will try to prevent Marshall from letting anyone borrow his gun. House Minority Floor Leader Gail McCann Beatty, D-Kansas City, calls the offer "unfortunate."

One of Marshall's colleagues, state Rep. Don Phillips, R-Kimberling City, told the Kansas City Star it's possible that he is just being sarcastic. Marshall has been unavailable for comment since posting his gun loan offer.

Metal detectors had been part of the Missouri Capitol's security measures following the 9/11 attacks, but they were removed in 2003.

Follow Marshall Griffin on Twitter:  @MarshallGReport

Copyright 2017 St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.