DOJ challenges Missouri gun law barring local officers from helping feds enforce firearms offenses
The Justice Department late Wednesday sought to block the enforcement of a Missouri gun law that bars local officers from assisting federal agents in federal firearm investigations.
The Biden administration's lawsuit challenges the Missouri law, known as "Second Amendment Protection Act", which declares federal gun laws as "invalid" and threatens local officers and their agencies with fines of up to $50,000 if they assist in their enforcement. The measure was signed into law nearly a year ago by GOP Gov. Mike Parson.
“This act impedes criminal law enforcement operations in Missouri,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. “The United States will work to ensure that our state and local law enforcement partners are not penalized for doing their jobs to keep our communities safe.”
Brian Boyton, chief of the Justice Department's Civil Division, said states "cannot simply declare federal laws invalid."
“This act makes enforcement of federal firearms laws difficult and strains the important law enforcement partnerships that help keep violent criminals off the street," Boyton said.
Federal officials claimed that since the law was enacted in June 2021, "dozens of state and local officers have resigned from federal joint-task forces" assisting in the enforcement of federal firearms offenses.
"In addition to penalizing individuals for working on joint federal-state law enforcement task forces, the (Missouri) statute penalizes current federal employees by barring them from state employment if they enforced the purportedly invalid laws," the federal complaint states.
Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt cast the Justice action as a "partisan lawsuit" that attempts to undercut gun rights.
"Unfortunately, the Biden DOJ has used this lawsuit as a pretext for them to pull the plug on our successful and innovative federal-state crime fighting partnership, the Safer Streets Initiative," Schmitt said in a written statement, adding that state authorities charged nearly 400 suspects.
"Time and again, the Biden Administration has put partisan politics ahead of public safety. Make no mistake, the law is on our side in this case, and I intend to beat the Biden Administration in court once again," the attorney general said.