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There's normally a gun rights rally in Jeff City every Spring, but I doubt you'd get many people to meet before that.

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I am disabled and spend most of my time in a wheelchair but I won't let that stop me.

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Rally Day is on for this year. Set for Wed, April 28th. I've got to go update some websites and make a flyer. I expect GCLA and WMSA will make flyers as well. I'll post a proper announcement after I get that stuff done.

See you guys there.

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Me too, but I've still gone to a few.

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/51036/2009-4-1_Gun_Rights_Rally__39__jpg-1828879.JPG

I've missed some because I couldn't find a place to park, and now I can't drive anymore, but this last one I already had someone on here who volunteered to come get me. It's worth going, to show numbers.

Quoted:
Rally Day is on for this year. Set for Wed, April 28th. I've got to go update some websites and make a flyer. I expect GCLA and WMSA will make flyers as well. I'll post a proper announcement after I get that stuff done.

See you guys there.

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Damn, sorry to hear that. I miss going to those, especially when Mark Perez was still around.

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From what I understand HB85 has passed out of GAFO committee and has been turned in. It would be up to Sen. Caleb Rowden to call for the bill to be brought up & debated before a final vote.

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I wouldn’t expect a vote on this bill before the last day or two. If they have to PQ it, that will poison the waters and nothing else will get done.

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When I talked with Senator Schatz's assistant at the rally she said they were NOT going to PQ...of course we'll wait and see. The ball's in motion and we just have to see how far our "Representatives" move it.

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Well I think you had a taste of what its opponents will do last time it was on the floor... no doubt this time we will end up knowing about all of the apostles and their buddies instead of just Timothy.

As you know, after 9 years of effort by literally thousands of liberty-loving Missourians and some hard-working office holders, including Rep. Jered Taylor and Sen. Eric Burlison, we passed the Missouri Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA) last May.  Governor Parson signed HB 85 on June 12.

Although the emergency clause placed it into law immediately upon the Governor's signature, it actually becomes fully enforceable on August 28th.

In anticipation of the limits SAPA places on officials' ability to infringe on your right to bear arms, Kansas City, Jackson County, St. Louis City, and St. Louis County have challenged the constitutionality of HB 85. Consistent with the opposition claims we've heard for 8 years, they say it violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution and that it will hinder their efforts to get hardened criminals off the street.

No surprise.

What is a surprise is their claim that HB 85 violates their power as chartered cities and counties under the Missouri Constitution.  They claim that the Missouri Constitution gives them the exclusive authority to dictate hiring of employees and establishment of their duties and that SAPA's enforcement provisions are contrary to that authority.

They seem to be grasping at straws.

The Missouri Constitution plainly states that the provisions of city and county charters have to be consistent with state statutes - that would include SAPA. Indeed, state statutes have stipulated qualifications for law-enforcement officers (e.g. POST certification) and made provisions for discipline of the same for many years.

The lawsuit also alleges the bill violates the single subject requirements in the Constitution, but it's clear that every provision of the bill is aimed at protecting our right to bear arms.  More straw-grasping.

We knew SAPA would be challenged in court.  Frankly, I suspected they would have come up with better arguments than they have. If this is their best shot, it will take some pretty lame judges to rule in their favor.

Unfortunately, we have some pretty lame judges!

The first public hearing in this case is dealing with a motion for a preliminary injunction on the bill. It's scheduled for 1:30 on Thursday, August 19, in the Division 2 courtroom at the Cole Courthouse in Jefferson City. You can attend this hearing.

Track the case here:   21AC-CC00237 - CITY OF ST. LOUIS ET AL V STATE OF MISSOURI ET AL

For legal geeks, here are the pertinent legal documents thus far:

http://www.mofirst.org/docs/SAPA-Case/City-and-County-Amended-petition.pdf
http://www.mofirst.org/docs/SAPA-Case/AG-Answer.pdf
http://www.mofirst.org/docs/SAPA-Case/City-and-County-Amended-petition.pdf

Judge Dan Green is the judge at this stage of the litigation process. I think he will be solid, but the appellate judges are another story.

The Attorney General's office is defending SAPA.  A.G. Eric Schmitt seems to be committed to protecting the bill, and his people have done a good job so far.


OUR ACE IN THE HOLE

No stone will be left unturned in the effort to defend SAPA.

Dave Roland of the public interest law-firm, the Freedom Center of Missouri, has been instrumental in the drafting and amending of SAPA from its inception to passage. The Freedom Center is not done. Dave intends to participate in this lawsuit with amicus briefs at the appropriate time -- particularly when the case is in the Missouri Supreme Court.  (It will go directly to the Supreme Court after the Cole County Court, since the case raises a constitutional question.)

The Freedom Center has been in the middle of protecting our liberty for several years, including winning the landmark case that ensures unpaid citizens can weigh in on the legislative process without registering as a lobbyist (Calzone v. Missouri Ethics Commission).

Indeed, the Freedom Center is already on top of the challenge to SAPA.  Read their article, St. Louis Lawsuit Against Second Amendment Preservation Act is Totally Baseless.


So, what can YOU do to help defend SAPA?

We may, in the future, call for letters to the editor all across the state; you can help with that at the appropriate time.

But for now, the best thing you can do is help support the Freedom Center so they can afford to support our position in this legal challenge -- we don't want to put all of our eggs in the A.G.'s basket.

The Freedom Center depends on donations -- they never charge clients.  All their cases are aimed at defending our Constitutionally protected rights.

Please go here to make a one-time donation, or do like I do and send them support every month: www.mofreedom.org/donate

I'll try to keep you appraised as this case progresses.

Ron Calzone

I'm leaving the Cole County Courthouse, where St. Louis City, St. Louis County, Kansas City and Jackson County are trying to get Judge Dan Green to declare the Second Amendment Preservation Act unconstitutional.

Solicitor General John Sauer did a great job representing the Attorney General and the legislature's position.

The plaintiffs' arguments, on the other hand, were as weak as their prior briefs had been. They seem to be focused more on policy than the law, and that does not bode well for their side, because it's the general assembly's purview to decide policy; the court can only weigh in on law.

Of course, SAPA it's also legally solid and my prediction is the plaintiffs will be the ones appealing the case not our side.
Judge Green considered the case submitted and said he would try to have an opinion within a week. The next stop will be the Missouri  Supreme Court.

Fortunately, the Attorney General seems to be committed to defending this law, and David Roland of the Freedom Center of Missouri and the Missouri Firearms Coalition are on top of it with amicus briefs.

“Today’s ruling was an important victory for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office over the Biden Department of Justice, and for the Second Amendment rights of all Missourians,” Attorney General Eric Schmitt said. “Since the Second Amendment Preservation Act was passed, I promised to fiercely defend the law and Missourians’ Second Amendment rights — that’s exactly what we did in this case and will continue to do moving forward.”