The bipartisan gun deal in the U.S. Senate announced on Sunday — and supported by Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt — would close the “boyfriend loophole” in federal law that allows some individuals convicted of domestic violence to have guns if their victim is a dating partner instead of a spouse.
But in Missouri, police won’t be able to take action, according to state legislators and an attorney.
A Missouri law called the Second Amendment Preservation Act, or SAPA, prevents local and state law enforcement from enforcing certain federal gun laws, including those that restrict the right to buy or own a gun without an equivalent in state law. Not only does Missouri not have a state law addressing the “boyfriend loophole,” state legislators in 2016 voted to allow convicted domestic abusers to carry firearms.
