ST. LOUIS, MO–Amidst ongoing social and political conversations surrounding police violence and reform in America, one solution has started to gain steam: gun safety. Previously operating under the impression that knowing how to use a gun is genetically programmed into Americans’ DNA, many states have resisted the notion that they should teach their officers anything about gun safety. However, more recent evidence suggests that officers without knowledge about how or when to use their guns may be a contributing factor to growing police brutality.

Always ahead of the curve, Missouri has emerged as one of the more progressive states in these ongoing debates. A new measure has been drafted by state officials, mandating that all Missouri police departments have, at a minimum, one whole afternoon of gun safety training in their academy curriculums. The reform has drawn both acclaim and scrutiny, but lawmakers will push to turn this theory into practice swiftly.

“That’s the problem with immigration. You get Mexicans, Saudis, Greeks all coming into the country illegally — they’re not born with the same knowledge of guns us Americans have. It’s not in their blood,” officer Corey Barrett of the St. Louis Police Department explained. “We’ll have to start training all officers about guns until we get the border situation under control and make policing American again. That’s why I support a ‘yes’ vote.”

Lawmakers will convene for a vote this Friday at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City. There is not yet any clear indication which direction voters will favor.