In a move that may ultimately pit the state of Missouri against Congress and the Biden administration, the Republican-controlled Missouri House of Representatives voted 107-43 to advance legislation that would prevent local law enforcement from enforcing federal gun control laws.
The bill is sponsored by Rep. Jered Taylor (R-Republic) in apparent anticipation of new gun restrictions adopted by the Democrat-controlled Congress and signed by Joe Biden.
According to KSHB and the Associated Press, Rep. Taylor said it is the job of state legislators to protect the Second Amendment rights of Missouri residents.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported local law enforcement concerns about the measure. Local police are allegedly concerned the bill could interfere with joint anti-crime efforts between local agencies and federal officers.
Taylor’s legislation may be a different approach to the so-called “Second Amendment Sanctuary” movement that has been gathering momentum among many gun rights activists, and even among some lawmakers over the past few years. While such declarations may have no legal teeth, they are symbolic of a growing sentiment against overbearing government especially where Second Amendment rights are concerned.
The idea gained more traction recently in Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott declared he wants the Lone Star State to be a “Second Amendment sanctuary state.”
As quoted by The Texan, Abbot said last month “I want to make sure that Texas becomes a Second Amendment sanctuary state so that no government official at any level can come and take your gun away from you, despite those people who said, ‘Heck yes, we’re going to take your gun.’”
It was a not-so-subtle swipe at far-left former Texas Congressman Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke, who told the audience at a Democratic presidential debate in 2019, “Hell, yes, we’re gonna take your AR-15, your AK-47!” The outburst is believed by many to have been a contributing factor in O’Rourke’s poor showing and quick departure from the presidential primary campaign trail.
Taylor’s Missouri legislation is known as the “Second Amendment Preservation Act.” With Biden in the White House, filling his administration with anti-gunners and promising action on gun control, what’s happening in Missouri and Texas signals a looming confrontation over gun rights.
