JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, announces he has filed two important pro-Second Amendment bills in the Missouri Senate. The first bill expands Missouri’s Stand Your Ground law and strengthens protections for Missourians in self-defense situations.

“Law-abiding Missourians should have the right to defend themselves and their families, period,” said Sen. Brattin. “This practice of rogue prosecutors and state governments weaponizing the law against people, like Kyle Rittenhouse, who are acting in self-defense has to stop and that’s exactly what my bill would do.”

Under Sen. Brattin’s Senate Bill 1104, there would be a presumption that an individual acted reasonably in using physical or deadly force when defending themselves against a threat, rather than the current law, which places the burden on the individual to prove they acted reasonably. Any person who uses physical or deadly force, or threatens to use such force in self-defense, would be immune from criminal prosecution and civil action. Beyond that, the bill also gives individuals in these situations the right to raise a pre-trial claim of self-defense, which would move the burden of proof to either the prosecution or plaintiff in these cases.

Senator Brattin also filed Senate Bill 1102, which exempts firearms and ammunition from local and state sales, and use taxes.

“The Second Amendment is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution,” said Sen. Brattin. “Government should not be profiting off or creating financial barriers to our right to keep and bear arms. Knowing the tactics of the left, it won’t be long until they are taxing firearms and ammunition beyond what anyone can afford, and that’s how they’ll try to undercut our Second Amendment right.”

Both of Sen. Brattin’s pro-Second Amendment bills will be referred to committee in the coming weeks.

Senator Brattin represents the 31st Senatorial District, covering Barton, Bates, Cass, Henry and Vernon counties. Senator Brattin resides in Harrisonville with his wife, Athena, and their five children.

For more information about Sen. Brattin, visit senate.mo.gov/brattin/.