COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri law enforcement officials are asking the General Assembly to revise the state’s new Second Amendment act that prohibits them from helping enforce certain federal gun laws, telling lawmakers that it is hindering their ability to conduct criminal investigations.
The law’s “wording and structure have caused confusion and potentially unintended legal implications,” the Missouri Police Chiefs Association (MPCA) wrote in an October letter to Republican legislative leaders and the bill’s sponsors.
The Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA), which Gov. Mike Parson signed in June, declares “invalid” many federal gun regulations that don’t have an equivalent in Missouri law. These include statutes covering weapons registration and tracking, and possession of firearms by some domestic violence offenders.
