Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has a life or death decision to make.

Last week the state’s legislature passed a bill that would dramatically increase the rights of gun owners in the state. The legislation now awaits Nixon’s signature — or his veto.

If Nixon signs the bill, he will practically be ensuring that more Missouri residents will die from gun violence.

In other states that have passed stand your ground laws, the results have been clear: More people have been killed by guns. According to one recent study by the group Mayors Against Illegal Guns, states with stand your ground laws “have experienced increased rates of overall homicides, firearm-related homicides, and ‘justifiable homicides.’” Indeed, “justifiable homicides increased by 53 percent in states with stand your ground laws, while decreasing by 5 percent in states without these laws.”

https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2016/05/24/stand-your-ground-against-gun-violence/O66S7yY0TEZh01MOvfBZOK/story.html