Conservatives dealt a blow as Supreme Court upholds ruling on Missouri’s controversial gun law
WASHINGTON – In a significant victory for the Biden administration, the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the federal government in its legal battle with Missouri over the state’s “Second Amendment Preservation Act.” The law, signed by Republican Governor Mike Parson in 2021, aimed to ban the enforcement of federal gun laws in the state, subjecting police who attempt to enforce these laws to lawsuits and hefty civil penalties. While conservatives in Missouri celebrated the law as a statement of the state’s commitment to permissive gun laws, the Supreme Court’s ruling puts the law on hold, dealing a blow to gun rights groups.
Justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito noted that the court’s ruling only applies to police officers and state employees, not “private parties” who could potentially sue under the law. Missouri allowed private citizens to enforce the law through civil lawsuits, similar to the enforcement mechanism challenged in a 2021 case involving a Texas abortion law. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, a Republican, dismissed the Supreme Court’s decision as a “purely procedural matter” and affirmed his commitment to defending the Second Amendment rights of Missourians.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the ruling. While the decision is limited in scope, it represents a setback for gun rights groups as they face numerous challenges to gun restrictions across the country in the aftermath of a landmark Supreme Court decision last year. In that case, the Supreme Court expanded Second Amendment protections and invalidated a New York gun licensing law, asserting that gun regulations must align with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation to withstand legal challenges. This has led to a surge in lawsuits over various gun laws, forcing federal courts to evaluate the historical context of these prohibitions.
Under federal laws, licensed firearm manufacturers must engrave serial numbers on firearms and maintain sales records. These laws also prohibit felons, individuals addicted to drugs, and others from owning guns.
This year, the Supreme Court is already reviewing a high-profile Second Amendment case challenging a federal law that prohibits individuals subject to restraining orders from owning guns. Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, was charged under another provision of the law that prohibits individuals with drug addictions from owning firearms.
Contributing: Springfield News-Leader
