The latest local news, weather and high school sports in and around Columbia and Jefferson City

JEFFERSON CITY, MO. (AP) -- The Missouri Constitution already enshrines the right to bear arms, but a state senator wants to expand that protection.

The Senate General Laws Committee voted 7-0 Monday in favor of a proposal by Republican Sen. Kurt Schaefer, of Columbia.

The proposed constitutional amendment would define the right to bear arms as "unalienable" and require the state to defend against any "infringement" of that right. It would also include defending one's "family" with a firearm as a guaranteed constitutional right.

Schaefer filed his measure shortly after President Barack Obama outlined his plans for stricter federal gun control laws. If passed by both the House and Senate, the constitutional amendment would need to be approved by Missouri voters.

(Copyright ©2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)