Citing Biden’s plans, local lawmaker renews plan to push back on federal gun laws

JEFFERSON CITY — A local lawmaker is once again pushing a bill to curb the reach of federal gun laws, and this time he says it can’t wait.

Sen. Eric Burlison, R-Battlefield, told a committee Tuesday his proposal to bar state and local law enforcement from enforcing federal gun laws stricter than Missouri’s is exactly what Missouri needs to keep new President Joe Biden’s gun control agenda in check.

In testimony to colleagues, Burlison said Missourians could soon be faced with “gun bans, magazine bans, a tax on private manufacturers, red-flag laws and restrictions on individuals citizens from buying firearms, including how many you can own.”

Indeed, the Democratic president’s campaign website says he plans to push for bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines and try to limit people to buying one gun a month as part of his “Plan to End Gun Violence.”

Biden’s website also says he wants to encourage states to enact “red-flag” laws that allow courts to take guns away from people who pose risks to themselves and others.

“I can confidently say that Missourians do not support these draconian measures,” Burlison told colleagues. “It is time that Missouri take a stand to prevent these dangerous laws from harming our Missourians.”

The “Second Amendment Preservation Act” would first make a statement, Burlison said, by asserting that the federal government cannot pass any laws forbidding possession and ownership of a firearm, accessory or ammunition “by law-abiding citizens.”