MO:Local Legislators Might Be Open to Compromise On Controversial Gun Bill

emissourian.com ^ | 1 December, 2013 | Josh Mitchell

[marktwain]

The original bill sought to charge U.S. agents with misdemeanors if they enforced certain federal gun laws that were deemed unconstitutional. The new bill may remove that language and replace it with something more general.

Gov. Jay Nixon vetoed the original bill, citing doubts over its constitutionality. The Legislature fell just short of the votes needed to override that veto in September.

The next legislative session starts Jan. 8.

“It’s back to the drawing board,” Curtman said.

The new draft bill would also allow school districts to appoint teachers or administrators as school protection officers who could carry concealed guns in schools.

Constitutional?

The new draft bill still states that federal gun laws that infringe on people’s right to bear arms are invalid. It also says that no public officer or state employee has the right to enforce such laws.

“Whenever the federal government assumes powers that the people did not grant it in the Constitution its acts are unauthoritative, void and of no force,” a draft version of the bill states.

Nixon said the original bill violated the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution. That clause gives precedence to laws of a nation over individual states, Nixon said.

A summary of the new bill states that the supremacy clause does not apply to the manufacture, ownership and use of firearms because such laws “exceed the scope of the federal government’s authority.” However, there would be exceptions to this when it comes to the U.S. military.

[marktwain]

It is clear that Missouri is attempting to use the Constitution as it was designed, as a system where several government entitites serve as checks and balance agains each other to protect the people from excesses of government power.

[B4Ranch]

>>“Whenever the federal government assumes powers that the people did not grant it in the Constitution its acts are unauthoritative, void and of no force,” a draft version of the bill states.<<

WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS! People are not meant to govern themselves!