Missouri governor, attorney general defend new Second Amendment law

Gov. Mike Parson and Attorney General Eric Schmitt fired back at the U.S. Justice Department regarding the recently enacted Second Amendment Preservation Act in Missouri. “We will not stand by while the federal government tries to tell Missourians how to live our lives,” they said in a letter.

Parson and Schmitt responded to the federal government’s inquiry in a seven-page letter. The law declares federal laws that could restrict gun ownership among law-abiding Missourians as invalid in the state. It also says public officers and employees cannot enforce federal firearm laws that would be deemed invalid under this law, and those who do so could be subjected to a $50,000 penalty.

The Department of Justice sent a letter to the state’s Republican leaders seeking clarification on the new law and raising several concerns, including whether the state was attempting to void federal laws.

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“Missouri is not attempting to nullify federal law,” Parson and Schmitt said. “Instead, Missouri is defending its people from federal government overreach by prohibiting state and local law enforcement agencies from being used by the federal government to infringe Missourians’ right to keep and bear arms.”

Their letter argued Missouri “has every right under our system of government and the Tenth Amendment to place limitations on what state and local officials may do,” It said the Justice Department did not identify any conflicts the law created with restrictions on state activities and hiring practices when it comes to federal law.

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Schmitt and Parson also accused the department of conflicting its own policies when it comes to so-called sanctuary cities, places that limit cooperation with the federal government over immigration issues.

“President Biden and the Department of Justice have decided to reward states and cities that refuse to cooperate with enforcing constitutional immigration laws that protect our citizens against foreign threats, but now they attack Missouri for refusing to cooperate with enforcing unconstitutional gun confiscation laws that put our citizens in danger and degrade their rights,” the letter said. “You cannot have it both ways.”

–Dwight Widaman | Metro Voice