Missouri is Preparing to Reject Federal Gun Control
Jose Nino
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The Missouri Senate is on the verge of rejecting all federal gun control.
In an upcoming vote in the Missouri State Senate, Missouri is expected to approve a bill that would nullify all Second Amendment infringements coming from the federal government. On top of that, this bill would criminalize the enforcement of these gun control laws by federal officers who operate in Missouri.
Republicans, who control more than two-thirds of seats in both the Missouri House and Senate, have a golden opportunity to restore gun rights in the Show Me State. SB 367 and its companion bill in the State House, HB 786, would prohibit all state agencies and their employees from enforcing any federal law violating the Second Amendment—gun registration, fees, fines, licenses, and bans. The original version of this bill, SB 613, passed both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly but was vetoed by former Missouri Governor Jay Nixon.
A sneak preview of SB 367 shows that this bill has teeth:
“All federal acts, laws, executive orders, administrative orders, court orders, rules, and regulations, whether past, present, or future, which infringe on the people’s right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States I and Section 23 of the Missouri Constitution shall be invalid in this state, shall not be recognized by this state, shall be specifically rejected by this state, and shall be considered null and void and of no effect in this state.”
The authors of SB 367 detailed which federal laws will be nullified:
(a) Any tax, levy, fee, or stamp imposed on firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition not common to all other goods and services which might reasonably be expected to create a chilling effect on the purchase or ownership of those items by law-abiding citizens;
(b) Any registering or tracking of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition which might reasonably be expected to create a chilling effect on the purchase or ownership of those items by law-abiding citizens;
(c) Any registering or tracking of the owners of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition which might reasonably be expected to create a chilling effect on the purchase or ownership of those items by law-abiding citizens;
(d) Any act forbidding the possession, ownership, or use or transfer of a firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition by law-abiding citizens; and
(e) Any act ordering the confiscation of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition from law-abiding citizens”
SB 367 is as pro-gun as it gets. Time will tell if this bill will actually make it to Governor Mike Parson’s desk. There will be the usual suspects opposing this bill, such as anti-gun Democrats and big city anti-gun interest groups. However, gun owners must be careful of establishment gun lobbies who will likely do everything they can to kill SB 367 behind the scenes or sneak in poison pill provisions to gut the bill.
Nevertheless, 2019 appears to be a big year for gun owners nationwide. When 2018 looked like the year of the gun grabber, with states passing gun control left and right, 2019 has seen states like Kentucky, Oklahoma, and South Dakota pass Constitutional Carry. Additionally, rural counties in states like Colorado, Maryland, and New Mexico have recently revolted against their anti-gun, big city overlords.
Pro-gun momentum is picking up steam nationwide, and Missouri is poised to make a big splash. From rural counties standing up to state legislatures misrepresenting them to state legislatures rejecting federal gun control, gun owners have a moral obligation to reject all forms of gun control.
Not even a one-third of the way in, 2019 is already looking like a great year for pro-gun activists.
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