Kansas City, Mo – Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas today was sworn in for his second term as Mayor of Kansas City, where he announced several new policy initiatives, including the planned introduction of two ordinances to prohibit minors from purchasing firearm ammunition without parental consent, and banning “switches,”—devices used to modify guns to allow them to fire more rounds more quickly.  Mayor Lucas plans to introduce both ordinances during the first City Council meeting of the 2023-2027 Mayoral and City Council term this Thursday, August 3, at 3 p.m. 

“The next four years will bring great accomplishment to Kansas City—the opening of the first professional sports stadium purpose built for women’s sports will take place on the banks of the Missouri River in the months ahead,” said Mayor Lucas.  “The eyes of the world will be on Kansas City, Arrowhead Stadium, and the east side of our city as we host the 2026 Soccer World Cup, and we hope and pray that the Chiefs, who have been to three Super Bowls during my tenure thus far, will continue to give us reason to celebrate outside Union Station for many years to come. 

“But, in Kansas City, we recognize we have far more work to do.  So far this year, thanks to the work of many, shootings are actually down by 6 percent, reversing a years long trend, but all the while homicides are up dramatically.  And, in Kansas City, I say clearly and unambiguously, guns and ammunition being given to minors; guns in the hands of the wrong people; guns modified to be more potent than the prohibition-era machine guns are the problem and are killing our community.  That’s why my first action of the new term will be legislation, drafted to avoid Missouri’s preemption laws, that will outlaw the distribution of ammunition to minors without parental consent; to outlaw the possession and sale of components, like Glock switches, that turn handguns into fully automatic weapons spraying clubs, our parks, and our streets with hundreds of rounds of bullets and increasingly outgunning our police officers responding to emergencies.   

“We know, however, that gun laws alone cannot solve the epidemic.  Led by Mayor Pro Tem Parks-Shaw, Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, and a majority of my colleagues, the City has made a transformative investment in violence prevention, spending millions in recognition that jobs, mentorship, healthcare, and hope are as important to reversing a generational concern in our community as any legal prohibitions.” 

FULL SPEECH AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY: 

“If you ever get lost, find a mom.”   

Angela imparted that wisdom to her children growing up, but that is advice she proves today and every day as a leader with Moms Demand Action and as a national leader in building safer communities for all.  Thank you, Angela, for coming to Kansas City.  But, more, thank you for saving lives in cities and towns throughout our country.   

To the many moms out there today, demanding action to stop gun homicides, gun suicides, gun tragedies… on behalf of this father, this mayor, this Kansas Citian, we appreciate you.   

“If you ever get lost, find a mom” also has been sage advice for communities near us as they confronted challenge and opportunity over recent years.  In Kansas, a mother and grandmother rescued a declining budget, trusted public health experts and protected our neighbors and us during COVID-19, and has brought success, optimism, and billions in investment to the Sunflower State and the Kansas City region.  Governor Laura Kelly, I am so tremendously honored to call you a mentor and a friend, and we are blessed by your presence today.   

Many moms here are firsts.  My sister in the collective of mayors, Tishaura Jones, shines each day as a woman who has taken the mantle of a system and a city not built originally for someone Black and someone who is a woman to succeed, and has brought positive change in a way not seen for generations in the City of St. Louis.   

And, the moms from our own city, serving now on City Council, represent a refreshing set of firsts: our first Council with three Black women, featuring a Black woman, Councilwoman Ryana Parks-Shaw, as Mayor Pro Tem.  And, five moms total: educators, health care professionals, planners, lawyers, and business people.  Your insight at times we agree, but more so when we may not, will be invaluable as we chart a path for a safer and stronger city over the four years ahead.    

In 2019, obviously not knowing what was to come, I spoke to you about basic services.  We would focus on housing, public safety, and improving our city’s basic services. And we did:   

• Kansas City’s affordable Housing Trust Fund is now fully funded, which is creating thousands of safe, stable, quality, and truly affordable housing units, so kids and families can leave homelessness—that I and too many others have known—and do what we want all kids to be able to do, not worry where they’ll sleep, how their family may get by, but just be kids.   

• We’re paying our workers more, providing long-overdue support for the people who keep this City running.  

• And, we have resurfaced 15% of the city’s streets in the past several years, reversing years of underinvestment in our infrastructure.  

The next four years will bring great accomplishment to Kansas City – the opening of the first professional sports stadium purpose built for women’s sports will take place on the banks of the Missouri River in the months ahead.  The eyes of the world will be on Kansas City, Arrowhead Stadium, and the east side of our city as we host the 2026 Soccer World Cup, and we hope and pray that the Chiefs, who have been to three Super Bowls during my tenure thus far, will continue to give us reason to celebrate outside Union Station for many years to come.   

But, in Kansas City, we recognize we have far more work to do.  So far this year, thanks to the work of many, shootings are actually down by 6 percent, reversing a years long trend, but all the while homicides are up dramatically.  And, in Kansas City, I say clearly and unambiguously, guns and ammunition being given to minors; guns in the hands of the wrong people; guns modified to be more potent than the prohibition-era machine guns are the problem and are killing our community.  That’s why my first action of the new term will be legislation, drafted to avoid Missouri’s preemption laws, that will outlaw the distribution of ammunition to minors without parental consent; to outlaw the possession and sale of components, like Glock switches, that turn handguns into fully automatic weapons spraying clubs, our parks, and our streets with hundreds of rounds of bullets and increasingly outgunning our police officers responding to emergencies.   

We know, however, that gun laws alone cannot solve the epidemic.  Led by Mayor Pro Tem Parks-Shaw, Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, and a majority of my colleagues, the City has made a transformative investment in violence prevention, spending millions in recognition that jobs, mentorship, healthcare, and hope are as important to reversing a generational concern in our community as any legal prohibitions.   

I grew up with my big sister loving Mayor Cleaver’s Night Hoops program.  We’re proud to have it back and to be building efforts to provide year-round engagement and support for our children with the Department of Parks and Recreation and our violence prevention fund.   

To build stability in our young people’s lives, we also need to ensure they have safe and stable places to sleep.   

I have been blessed immensely, but I still have not forgotten late motel room nights completing homework assignments in the bathroom, as to not wake up family in the adjoining one room.  Many had it worse than me and have it worse, but I still don’t wish that on anyone.   

That’s why we are committed to producing 8,000 units of affordable housing units from our Trust Fund and strategic economic development investments over the next four years, providing housing to thousands Kansas City families. 

And, housing will not just be in apartment communities.  We are paving the way for thousands of vacant Land Bank single-family homes to be renovated and improved. 

And once and for all, we need to ban source of income discrimination in housing to ensure more low-income Kansas Citians can access housing opportunities. No matter how you lawfully pay your bills or rent, whether it’s through housing vouchers or other government assistance, you should not be denied a place to stay.  

Last year, we created a plan to end homelessness in Kansas City and today, we are issuing a request for proposals to create our city’s first low-barrier shelter, equipped with case managers to provide wraparound services to those who need assistance obtaining employment, substance abuse and mental health support, and permanent housing.  

Creating economic equity in our city goes hand in hand with building a sustainable city.  Kansas City is proud to already be 25% carbon neutral, nearing our goal of full carbon neutrality for city operations by 2030. Still, each Kansas Citian generates a carbon footprint of nearly 18 tons, two tons more than the average person in the U.S. We are working each day to decrease our carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. Soon, Kansas City will be home to the nation’s largest solar array and we are working to convert our city vehicle fleet to electric vehicles where possible.  

We are doing this work while continuing to deliver basic services to our residents and I could not be more grateful for the women and men who put on uniforms for our city or come into our buildings each day. We are proud to have passed substantial pay increases, but we know more is due: better compensation; support for daycare and early childhood care in the core of our city; and respect.  At a time when some see labor as a commodity, we see you, your value, and will stand against outsourcing.  We will stand for fair wages and prevailing wage on city projects and we will use affirmative action to ensure those long denied opportunity in our city get a chance to find work on projects that will build the City’s future.   

And, opportunity in Kansas City means opportunity for all.  No legislature in Jefferson City, Topeka, or Washington can deny you your humanity, your love, and Kansas City’s support of you living the best life you can build.  

When we say all are welcome here.  We mean all, as their authentic selves, are welcome here.   

Kansas City es una ciudad para todos y tenemos culturas ricas que han sido valoradas por mucho tiempo. Nuestra ciudad es un lugar de esperanza y oportunidad para todos.  

We are committed to removing barriers to success, and call on our federal partners to expedite the approval of work permits.  We cannot just be an international city come World Cup time.  We need to ensure our New American communities have housing support, access to reliable transportation, and that we support services like Della Lamb and JVS who relocate and settle hundreds each year.   

 . . .

One of the positives of having moved a lot in Kansas City growing up is that there’s a story for just about every neighborhood.  For a while in the 90s, we lived at the then-President Gardens apartments. The setting was good.  A barber shop and Jamaican food up the street.  A beautiful large running track down the hill.  My mom, not wanting my whole summer to be on a couch, got me enrolled in a summer track program that worked out at 83rd and Troost.  My memories have faded somewhat, but I seem to recall every day being about 99 degrees, no clouds in sight, and practice starting right at about 4PM each day.  The head coach was a man named Ken Ferguson who would belt out instructions all evening long, shouting “accelerate, accelerate!!!” just when you were ready to give up.  I came home sore each night and each night wanted to quit.  My mom would never let me.   

Each day a new obstacle might come: a sore muscle, a stronger competitor who looked like an Olympian at age 12, but I’d be back out there, hearing, “Accelerate!  Accelerate!”  And it just somehow, someway, only got hotter when we were out there.   

Over the past four years, Kansas City, and I, have felt a lot of days when we may have wanted to slide back; a lot of days when may have wanted to quit; only to have that voice shouting “Accelerate!  Accelerate!” and that special someone back home telling you to keep going; that you got this.   

Well, today, Kansas City, we found that mother’s voice.   

We can be a place that can walk and chew gum; a place that can be one of the greatest cities in the world; while also being a model of how we can treat our unhoused sisters and brothers with dignity and help them find stability.  We can be a place that knows life is not either-or; we can invest in prevention and alternatives to enforcement, while working with law enforcement to build safer communities.  We know that we can be in the Heart of America, but can lead with our hearts, uplifting those too long left out and too long marginalized.  And we know, that our humble city can be a model to a nation for how to succeed, how to support each other, and how to accelerate beyond our wildest dreams.   

God bless you and God bless our great city.    

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