This week in the Senate General Laws Committee, of which I am chair, a measure to help protect our Second Amendment rights (SB 150) was considered and received testimony. Many Missourians gathered in the hearing room, eager to present their support to the legislation. This measure was offered in response to the federal government’s misguided attempt to help prevent gun violence in our country. Although none of us want tragedies like the horrible atrocity that occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School to ever happen again, taking away Americans’ guns is not the solution. Not only does it infringe upon their constitutional rights, but it would provoke criminals who are able to obtain firearms to attack innocent, law-abiding and unarmed citizens. We cannot brush a problem under the rug, hoping the issue will just magically disappear. I fully support SB 150 and our God-given right to protect ourselves and our families.

Specifically, SB 150 would declare as unenforceable any federal law or executive order that is more restrictive than the law in effect on Dec. 31, 2012, which bans the possession of a semiautomatic firearm or any ammunition feeding device or requires the registration of any firearm, ammunition feeding device, or firearm accessory. In addition, SB 150 would make it a crime for certain individuals to enforce a law declared unenforceable by this act when the firearm, ammunition feeding device, or accessory at issue is manufactured in the state (or possessed in the state) and remains exclusively in the state.

Some over-reaching initiatives, such as SB 124, have been proposed in the Missouri Senate to either increase gun control, or intrude upon Missourians’ private business — I do not support these measures. Senate Bill 124 would, among other provisions, require a parent or guardian to notify a school district that he or she owns a firearm within 30 days of enrolling the child in school or becoming the owner of a firearm. This is an evasion of privacy and would trample individuals’ rights as American citizens. You can watch my interview with Fox News regarding SB 124 and protecting our right to bear arms by clicking here.

In addition, you can watch my video reports regarding our Second Amendment rights by visiting my Multimedia page on my Missouri Senate website (www.senate.mo.gov/nieves).

Thank you for reading this legislative report. Please don’t hesitate to contact my Capitol office if you have any questions about our Second Amendment rights. I will not hesitate to fight for you in the Missouri Senate. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — gun control is not about guns, it’s about control. Thank you and God bless.