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Due to alarming spread of COVID in our state capitol, @MomsDemand volunteers listen from home to #moleg committee hearing on 2 extremist #nullification bills. Both allow #Missouri to refuse to enforce federal gun laws and prosecute state & local law enforcement officials who do.
We know we can't be in the capitol safely today. And while it's deeply concerning that there's no way for us to participate in this hearing virtually, we've seen these dangerous, unconstitutional attempts to nullify federal gun safety laws in years past: https://twitter.com/CoMo_Kristin/status/1235361442750029824?s=20
Senate version a #nullification bill, #SB39, was heard last week--also without an opportunity for the public to safely participate. And misleading media coverage hinted these bills take aim at "new firearms restrictions"--which is simply not true. #moleg https://twitter.com/CoMo_Kristin/status/1352692958185877505?s=20
In fact, the lobbyist who's pushed these dangerous bills for years says on his own website that it's not the case that #nullification would simply stop Biden WH policy. All federal gun laws would be null, void, and of no effect in Missouri:
Bill sponsor Jered Taylor says his #nullification bill is designed to protect individuals' rights from our own government. We will not be using our resources to enforce federal laws we disagree with. Says he talked to police officers who want to refuse enforcing gun laws #moleg
Committee chair asks Taylor about an NPR story on drastic increases in Missouri's gun death rates, especially in our large cities. Taylor says individuals' right to carry weapons is "probably the most important" one in the Constitution. #moleg
Taylor cites a particular concern for an individual's ability to carry large capacity magazines and higher power firearms as rationale for his bill. Stopping enforcement of federal law, he suggests, by any state or local law enforcement officer is the goal of his bill.
How would this bill interrupt local violent crime task force work, asks Rep. Ingle. Federal law enforcement would have sole responsibility for enforcing gun laws, and state or local law enforcement would have to agree to only make charges based on state law.
Asked about dangerous omission in Missouri statute, where we do NOT have law to mirror federal domestic violence law barring #DV offenders from possessing guns, Taylor cites Rep. McCreery's 2020 bill. Claims there's something in his desk that he's "willing to work on" this year.
Rep. Peter Merideth asks questions on Taylor's comparison of his bill to Missouri's enforcement of marijuana law. The important difference: #HB85 declares federal law null and void. Taylor persists in denying.
Reading from the bill language, @PeterforMO reads the clearly unconstitutional wording back to Taylor. Asks: are any federal laws that are not mirrored in Missouri law unconstitutional. Taylor is not answering. #moleg
Practically speaking, this bill will hurt public safety by prohibiting state law enforcement from cooperating
with federal law enforcement to combat federal gun crimes, in situation such as human trafficking, asks Rep. Rogers (or gun trafficking).
with federal law enforcement to combat federal gun crimes, in situation such as human trafficking, asks Rep. Rogers (or gun trafficking).
Rogers asks: of a deputy sees guns at a crime scene with trafficked victims and he cannot even call those guns in without being in violation of this state law, the bill prevents an officer from doing his work, Rogers says.
(It also would bar that officer from work as LEO.)
(It also would bar that officer from work as LEO.)
Appearing for informational purposes: Missouri Sheriffs United spokesperson testifies they have many of the same concerns as Reps. Merideth and Rogers. Law enforcement has to stand up for victims of violent crime--and work with federal gov't. #moleg
Speaking on behalf of #Missouri sheriffs, he cites the impressive--and urgently needed--work that was done last year in Kansas City with Operation LeGend. https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article246063005.html
Speaking on behalf of the Missouri Firearms Coalition Alexandra Salsman testifies that Missouri should not comply with gun safety laws the federal government may enact. Says she has heard from LEOs who worry and do not want to do their jobs if they infringe on the 2nd Amendment.
Asked about gun rights by Rep. @PeterforMO, Salsman says she believes background checks--or ANY restrictions on gun ownership--are not permissible. Anything the government has access to, the people should have access to she says. Including nuclear weapons. (!!!) #moleg #HB85
Speaking for #nullification, Missouri First lobbyist Ron Calzone says the elephant in the room is the rhetoric we are seeing from people in power "coming for your guns." That threat is greater than ever. He suggests the rhetoric makes an extreme bill like #HB85 necessary. #moleg
Calzone speaks at great length, first suggesting that federal officers who would support programs like Operation LeGend will have to agree to only work under serve in Missouri as state law enforcement officers.
Commenting on many of the earlier questions that committee members have asked of other witnesses, Calzone asks members to ask him their questions again. None do. #moleg
Woman from Warsaw, Mo., who lives on a ranch with "mountain lions, wolves, and grandkids" testifies that the federal government cannot change the laws of how we were raised.
A woman and gun owner from outside Springfield speaks passionately about 8.4M new gun sales and her right to own a gun for personal protection. She believes that the nullification bill will "back her" because she's not sure law enforcement will support gun owners like her. #moleg
A man sits down to read from the Declaration of Independence to the General Laws committee in support of nullifying federal gun safety laws in Missouri. Referring back to nuclear weapons discussed earlier, he says people should respect the rights of others to own what they want.
Another witness in support of #nullification testifies at length about the burdensome system for the buy back of weapons and suppressors by the government and licensing. The connection to #HB85 is unclear (to me). #moleg
Concluding--the hearing on #nullification (HB85 & 310) of federal gun safety laws in Missouri wraps up without time spent on epidemic of gun violence in our state. Or that Rs and Ds agree across the state that so much more reform is needed to address gun violence. #moleg
