Did Missouri approve the summary statement for banning firearm possession by minors without parental consent?

Plain-English summary

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey approved the legal content and form of the proposed summary statement for Damien Johnson's initiative petition 2026-026. The statement asked whether the Missouri Constitution should prohibit people under age 18 from possessing a firearm without the consent of a parent or legal guardian.

The review was limited to the summary statement under § 116.334, RSMo. The opinion did not endorse the petition or express a view about its objectives.

What this means for you

Missouri voters

The reviewed statement presented the proposal as a parental-consent rule for firearm possession by minors. The opinion addressed the statement's legal content and form, not the proposal's merits.

Initiative petition proponents

The summary statement for petition 2026-026 passed the attorney general's review under § 116.334, RSMo. The approval did not amount to endorsement of the proposal.

Election lawyers and ballot-measure researchers

Opinion 46-2025 records the attorney general's summary-statement approval for the firearm-possession proposal.

Common questions

Q: Who would the proposal cover?
A: Minors under age 18 who possessed a firearm without consent from a parent or legal guardian.

Q: Did the attorney general endorse the proposal?
A: No. The opinion approved the summary statement's legal content and form and expressly disclaimed endorsement.

Q: Which petition did the statement cover?
A: Damien Johnson's initiative petition 2026-026.

Background and statutory framework

The Missouri Secretary of State requested review on March 26, 2025. The attorney general reviewed the proposed summary statement under § 116.334, RSMo and approved it on April 9, 2025.

Citations and references

Statute: § 116.334, RSMo.

Source

• Landing page: https://ago.mo.gov/other-resources/ag-opinions/
• Original PDF: https://ago.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/46-2025.pdf

Original opinion text

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI
ANDREW BAILEY

April 9, 2025

OPINION LETTER NO. 46-2025

The Honorable Denny Hoskins
Missouri Secretary of State
James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center
600 West Main Street
Jefferson City, MO 65101

Dear Secretary Hoskins:

This opinion letter responds to your request dated March 26, 2025 for our review under § 116.334, RSMo of a proposed summary statement prepared for the petition submitted by Damien Johnson, 2026-026. The proposed summary statement is as follows:

Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to prohibit minors under the age of 18 from possessing a firearm without the consent of a parent or legal guardian?

Pursuant to § 116.334, RSMo, we approve the legal content and form of the proposed statement. Because our review of the statement is mandated by statute, no action that we take with respect to such review should be construed as an endorsement of the petition, nor as the expression of any view regarding the objectives of its proponents.

Very truly yours,

ANDREW BAILEY
Attorney General

OP-2025-050

Supreme Court Building
207 W. High Street
P.O. Box 899
Jefferson City, MO 65102
Phone: (573) 751-3321
Fax: (573) 751-0774
www.ago.mo.gov