Missouri: Right to Keep and Bear Arms Amendment Placed on August Ballot – Under Attack by Gun Control Crowd

As previously reported, the Missouri General Assembly passed Senate Joint Resolution 36 by an overwhelming and bipartisan majority.  Recently, Governor Jay Nixon (D) decided to have SJR 36 placed on the Primary Election ballot on August 5.  Sponsored by state Senator Kurt Schaefer (R-19) and Majority Leader Ron Richard (R-32), SJR 36 would strengthen Missouri’s current right to keep and bear arms constitutional amendment, Section 23, Article I.  SJR 36 would remove language stating, “but this shall not justify the wearing of concealed weapons,” and insert language to strengthen the constitutional amendment to ensure the strongest possible protection against any proposed restrictions to your fundamental rights.

Late last week, a lawsuit was filed against SJR 36 (Constitutional Amendment 5 on the August 5 ballot) – with the plaintiff being St. Louis Police Chief Samuel Dotson III and Rebecca Morgan, a member of the Missouri chapter of an anti-gun group funded by Michael Bloomberg.

This lawsuit challenges the ballot language, but its intention is to outright kill the ballot measure.  If it were up to those who filed the lawsuit, your right to keep and bear arms would not exist.

Your NRA-ILA will continue to update you on the status of this legal battle, but at this time, please contact state Senators Kurt Schaefer and Ron Richard, and thank them for their hard work in passing SJR 36 and their efforts on the legal battle on this ballot measure.  Their contact information is provided below.

Senator Kurt Schaefer:
(573) 751-3931
 
Senator Ron Richard:
(573) 751-2173