The Missouri House gives first round approval to a bill protecting business owners.

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12/17/2008: Newspaper Story - A brief on a Senate bill that would create the Business Premises Safety Act

4/29/2010: Radio Story - Missouri's House votes to force employers to allow workers to bring firearms onto employee parking lots.

Intro:	The Missouri House voted to ban business owners from restricting the possession of firearms on their property.
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Wrap: Under the bill, the only time owners could restrict firearms would be in their company vehicles.

Despite the bill getting first round approval, some representatives disagreed.

Representative Mary Nichols from St. Louis County said she was concerned about guns and the combination of alcohol.

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Description: "And we all know alcohol and guns do not mix as well as emotion and gun carrying do not mix."

The bill awaits one last vote in the House before moving to the Senate.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Danielle Carter.

Intro:	The House gave first round approval to a bill that would prohibit business owners from restricting guns on their property
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Wrap: The Missouri House of Representatives heard lengthy debate before passing the bill known as the Business Premises Safety Act.

Business owners would not be able to restrict people from carrying firearms on their property unless it's in a vehicle owned by the business.

Representative Rory Ellinger from St. Louis compared the potential of liability lawsuits to injury lawsuits.

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Description: "That's wrong. You know there's a hole in the ground and two years ago somebody stepped in it, and now the burden is doubly on the person who has been hurt."

After one last vote, the bill will move to the Senate.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Danielle Carter.

Intro:	The Missouri House of Representatives gave first round approval to a bill that would stop business owners from outlawing guns on their property.
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Wrap: The bill would exempt business owners from being responsible for other people's criminal actions on their property.

The bill would also prohibit business owners from not allowing people to carry firearms on their property unless in a vehicle owned by the business.

After much debate, the representatives split the bill into three parts and gave first round approval to the whole bill.

Several representatives say they were concerned with the bill. Representative Stephen Webber from Boone County says he was concerned about business owner's property rights.

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Description: "We are taking property rights away from the property owner and we are telling a business that the government is forcing them, forcing them to do something with their business and their property."

The bill awaits another vote in the House before moving to the Senate.

Reporting from the state Capitol, I'm Danielle Carter.