On Monday, January 26, the Missouri Senate Judiciary Committee will hold hearings on two gun bills.
Senate Bill 3, sponsored by State Senator Delbert Scott (R-28), also known as the “Business Premises Safety Act,” would prohibit business owners from restricting any person from lawfully possessing a firearm in a motor vehicle, except in motor vehicles owned or leased by the business. Business owners and operators would not be held liable for injury or damage resulting from compliance with the “Business Premises Safety Act.”
Senate Bill 52, introduced by State Senator Joan Bray (D-24), would grant law enforcement arbitrary discretion to confiscate lawfully owned firearms from their owners without due process if the officer deems there is probable cause of “domestic assault”, thus stripping them of their Second Amendment rights. SB 52 also broadly redefines “domestic assault” as “any dispute arising between spouses, former spouses, persons related by blood or marriage, individuals who are presently residing together or have resided together in the past, a person who is or has been in a continuing social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim, and persons who have a child in common regardless of whether they have been married or have resided together at any time.”
Such sweeping and broad-reaching definitions open the doors for exploitation and manipulation of the law to revoke a fundamental and enumerated right guaranteed under the Constitution.
Please make plans to attend Monday’s hearing. If you are unable to attend, please contact the members of the Judiciary Committee and respectfully urge them to support SB3 and to oppose SB52. Senators can be reached via email by clicking here. Further contact information can be found below.
State Senator Matt Bartle (R-8) (Chairman)
Phone: (573) 751-1464
State Senator Jack Goodman (R-29) (Vice Chair)
Phone: (573) 751-2234
State Senator Jane Cunningham (R-7)
Phone: (573) 751-1186
State Senator Rob Mayer (R-25)
Phone: (573) 751-3859
[email protected]
State Senator Kurt Schaefer (R-19)
Phone: (573) 751-3931
State Senator Jolie Justus (D-10)
Phone: (573) 751-2788
State Senator Jeff Smith (D-4)
Phone: (573) 751-3599