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How the Missouri Republican Legislature values Free-dum over health and safety. [1]

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Date: 2023-08-04

This will be a long diary as there are several different issues to be addressed.

Let’s start with gun safety.

missouriindependent.com/…

When Missouri repealed a key gun law, few protested. The result: more deaths than ever

Over the past two decades, Missouri lawmakers have carried out a long-term dismantling of virtually all of the state’s significant gun restrictions. That has left the state in the bottom five for the weakest gun laws in the country. Researchers point to the 2007 General Assembly session specifically for its repeal of the requirement to obtain a permit to purchase a handgun.

In the 70’s I had an Armed Watchman License due to my job in security, entering buildings at night to investigate security alarm activations. When I purchased a revolver, I had to comply with the The Permit Requirement for the Purchase of a Concealable Firearm law, which was repealed in 2007.

Jolie Justus, a freshman senator from Kansas City in 2007, said she recognized what was going on: The Missouri General Assembly was carrying out a long-term strategy, orchestrated by the National Rifle Association, to take apart gun laws piece by piece, until there was virtually nothing left.

Gun permit purchase requirements were removed in 2007

Current Bill Summary CCS/HCS/SCS/SBs 62 & 41 - This act modifies various laws relating to the criminal justice system. SECTIONS 476.083 & 571.090 The permit requirement for the purchase of a concealable firearm is repealed.

Since permit-to-purchase was removed in 2007, the state’s firearms death rate had increased 58% by 2019, according to a Star analysis of state firearms death figures. The actual toll may be higher, as some local law enforcement agencies recorded higher numbers of deaths in their counties than the state reported. The next step was to allow Permits for Concealed Carry. This law from 2016.

Permitless carry approved in 2015

2015: “Stand your ground” and permitless carry adopted Republican Senator Brian Munzlinger, a farmer from northeastern Missouri, introduces a bill to eradicate the “duty to retreat.” A separate provision eliminates need for concealed-carry permits. Again, the law passes easily; again, Nixon vetoes it; again, legislators later overwhelmingly override him. Now anyone in Missouri may carry a concealed weapon in most public places without a permit, and claim immunity in armed confrontations.

Missouri Concealed Carry Law Summary

Current status of gun restrictions in Missouri

And last but not least, Don’t Forget the unconstitutional 2nd Amendment Preservation Act

Missouri's Second Amendment Preservation Act outlaws local enforcement of federal gun laws It prohibits state agencies from helping the federal government enforce any law, rule or regulation which Missouri considers an infringement on the right to bear arms. Each violation can carry a $50,000 penalty. The bill outlaws Missouri state resources from being used to further federal gun regulation. But the sweeping law doesn't stop there. It also dictates under what circumstances a Missouri officer can help a federal agent investigate or prosecute a gun crime. We've learned Missouri law enforcement agencies pulled at least a dozen officers from federal task forces that targeted illegal guns. In addition, the state highway patrol's information and analysis center will no longer provide investigative support to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, or ATF. There's been a domestic violence loophole in Missouri law for years now. The saving grace alone was that there was a federal law that a police officer could say they're violating. Now that we lose that, what does this mean for so many Missourians? So many survivors of domestic violence? I hope it doesn't make them victims.

Now motorcycle safety.

It used to be a requirement to wear motorcycle helmets in Missouri, but no more.

While some states are taking steps towards making mandatory, others, on the contrary, are taking a step back and relaxing their laws for the sake of “freedom”. According to the new law, only riders aged 26 and older with a full riding license and proof of health insurance are permitted to leave their helmets at home. Riders with a learner’s license must still wear their lids. This sounds like a semi-reasonable way to go about repealing a 52-year-old motorcycle helmet law, right? Except for the fact that the bill also states that law enforcement isn’t allowed to pull riders over only to check whether they meet the legal requirements. Guess there will be an increase in speed traps after the law takes effect.

Well, surprisingly, Missouri Motorcyclists See Big Spike In Deaths After 2020 Helmet Law Repeal

Year-to-date, motorcyclist fatalities statewide have increased by 40% in 2021 , according to the Missouri Department of Transportation. And compared to this time last year, helmetless deaths are up a whopping 800%. Just as many Missourians saw masks as infringement on their freedom, Adam noted, some motorcyclists are likely unwilling to listen to “experts” whom they see as taking away their autonomy.

And, of course, anti-abortion laws.

Missouri doctors worry abortion ban is driving away future OB-GYNs

“When abortion restrictions are present, it compromises maternal health, and it results in higher rates of maternal mortality — and we see significantly higher rates for people of color,” said Dr. David Eisenberg, an obstetrics and gynecology physician at Washington University. “We are one of the top 10 OB-GYN residency training programs in the country,” he said. “Every year that I have been a faculty member, since 2009, we have seen an increasing number of applicants — until the fall of 2022, when we saw a 10% decrease.”

Missouri advocates say abortion ban has far-reaching effect on health care

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/4/2185247/-How-the-Missouri-Republican-Legislature-values-Free-dum-over-health-and-safety

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