By Dave Workman
Senior Editor
Voters in the “Show Me State” showed anti-gunners a serious defeat Aug. 5 when they adopted, by a nearly two-to-one margin, Amendment 5, which strengthens the state constitutional right to keep and bear arms provision.
More than 602,000 votes put the measure over the top, while only 39 percent of the voters cast some 385,000 votes against the proposal.
Almost immediately, the anti-gun Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America issued a statement warning of possibly dire consequences. The Michael Bloomberg-funded organization said, “Today Missouri voters approved a gun lobby-backed proposal that could gravely undermine public safety.”
Gun prohibitionists had opposed the measure, warning of possible litigation and making it more difficult for authorities to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and crazy persons and “impede the enforcement of reasonable firearms restrictions.” It was all for naught.
Importantly, the Missouri amendment states that the right is unalienable. “Any restriction on these rights shall be subject to strict scrutiny and the state of Missouri shall be obligated to uphold these rights and shall under no circumstances decline to protect against their infringement,” the amendment says.
One state lawmaker, Rep. Charlie Davis (R-District 128), told KOAM News that the amendment will add a further protection to the already existing right to bear arms.