GCLA/WMSA
Legislative Alert
Feb 2005
Greg Jeffery
After unprecedented victories at all levels of the
elections, many pro-gun-owner supporters felt that now
our rights should be safe. Well… lets take a look at
what is happening in Jefferson City.
As everyone expected, some not-too-friendly bills to
limit your ability to posses, own, or use firearms
have been introduced in Jefferson City. Some are the
usual perennial fare of anti-rights, paranoia-based
bills introduced from the usual suspects. Others are
coming from some sources that are a bit unsettling.
Part 1 is the Usual Fare from the Usual Suspects – But
we cannot fall asleep! These bills are still dangerous
to your rights.
HB521/SB41 – “Lock Up Your Safety” Bill.
House sponsors are: Representatives Frazer, Oxford,
Bowman, Daus and Low (39).
Senate sponsor is: Senator Joan Bray.
This is a slightly tweaked version of the bill that
Sen. Bray has introduced that last couple of years.
WHAT IT WILL DO
HB521/SB41 will turn you into a criminal if you do NOT
lock up your loaded gun or unloaded gun and ammunition
if a person 18 years of age or younger gets your gun
and simply “exhibits” it to others. [NOTE: INCLUDES 18
year olds that CAN legally purchase rifles AND
shotguns].
Penalty is no different if the “minor” walks down the
street with the firearm in his/her hand or shoots
someone. Penalty imposed by this bill would be a Class
A misdemeanor.
Note: Under Missouri law, conviction of a misdemeanor
with a firearm would result in the revocation of your
right to acquire any concealable firearm for life…
PLUS cause the revocation of your LTC [if you had one]
and you would be barred from EVER being able to get a
LTC again.
The bill is sold to the general public as a “common
sense” attempt to keep “children” from accidentally
injuring or killing each other. The anti-rights crowd
again invokes the image of “children” as “victims” of
us thoughtless gun owners. Those of us who support our
rights KNOW that the anti’s falsely inflate numbers by
including “children” who are twenty years old. AND…
most of these “children” injured by firearms are NOT
injured accidentally. Most are injured deliberately by
other “children” involved in illicit/illegal activity.
These bills are NOT an honest attempt to prevent child
safety accidents. These measures have always been
pushed as a means to shape public perception about
guns, the so-called “dangers” of having a gun in the
home, and promote the anti’s image of gun owners as
careless and heartless. Their goal is to create an
unreasoning, paranoid fear of guns among that portion
of the public that does not own guns.
Two interesting exemptions are made in these bills.
One segment of society is relieved of responsibility
for “safely storing” their firearms: law enforcement.
Why should LEOs [Law Enforcement Officers] be allowed
to store their firearms in an “unsafe” manner? Ask an
anti-gun-owner that and see what they say.
Another interesting exemption to prosecution is if the
“minor” who obtained the firearm/ammunition used the
firearm in a lawful act of defense of themselves or
others. Here is a question for those who support this
bill: HOW is a “minor” supposed to gain access to a
firearm IN ORDER TO DEFEND THEMSELVES if the firearm
is MADE INACCESSIBLE as required by this law???
Finally, say you keep your firearms unloaded and
locked in your home already. Why should you care
whether or not this passes? I had a frank and honest
discussion with one of the leaders of the national
anti-gun-rights movement many years ago. Besides the
social perceptions listed above, he also stated that
laws of this type were intended to open the door to
potential prosecution of gun owners as “endangering
the welfare of a child” by merely possessing a firearm
in the home.
If they succeed in creating the bridge, which would
you give up: Your kids to Division of Family Services,
or your guns to your local sheriff?
Lock-Up-Your-Safety Bills are NOT harmless and need to
be defeated. BOTH Bills HAVE been “second read” and
ASSIGNED to committees but committee hearing dates
have NOT been set as of this date.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:
Contact the Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Senate
“Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence”
Committee.
Matt Bartle, (R-8) Chair – 573-751-1464 (office),
573-751-8442 (fax), Rm 431,
Rob Mayer, (R-25) Vice-Chair – 573-751-3859 (office),
Rm 331 [no fax or email at this time].
POLITELY inform them that you oppose SB41. Ask to be
informed when the committee will meet to hear this
bill. Keep your call/letter/email/fax SHORT AND
POLITE.
Contact the Chairman and Vice-Chair of the House
“Crime Prevention and Public Safety” Committee.
Scott Lipke (R-157) Chair 573-751-6662 573-526-7740
Room 235BA Scott.Lipke@house.mo.gov;
and
Jason Brown (R-30) 573-751-6593 573-522-9278 Room 312
POLITELY inform them that you oppose HB521. Ask to be
informed when the committee will meet to hear this
bill. Keep your call/letter/email/fax SHORT AND
POLITE.
Stay Tuned for Further Contact Activity and be ready
to read Part 2 of these Alerts.
AS A REMINDER:
MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND this years ANNUAL Gun Rights
Rally Day. Thursday, March 10th. click
here for details