Just days ago, the House Government Oversight Committee took up MOFC’s Stand-Your-Ground Expansion Act (HB 2118) which would fix the gaps in Missouri’s self-defense laws.
If you weren’t there or couldn’t watch it online, let me tell you, this was an explosive committee from beginning to end!
Democrat State Representative Raychel Proudie lost control of herself and resorted to shouting and cursing as Rep. Jered Taylor presented the bill to the committee! Others in the committee tried their best to trip me up, while I testified on behalf of MOFC members.
To see my testimony, click here or on the video below.
As you heard, if you watched my remarks, House Bill 2118 addresses several problems with Missouri’s self-defense laws.
>>> First, this bill creates a presumption of innocence for gun owners who use (or threaten to use) deadly force in a self-defense situation. In other words, we clarify that the gun owner is presumed innocent, unless the state proves him guilty!
This presumption of innocence standard is already law in 16 states, and it’s required as more and more prosecutors try to imprison gun owners as part of their personal liberal agenda.
If a Missourian uses unlawful force, he will still be able to be charged, prosecuted, and sentenced. But the key word is ‘unlawful.’ If that force was lawful, he can not be arrested!
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>>> Second, this bill provides for the presumption of innocence for gun owners in civil court, too. The last thing we want is for a gun owner to be victimized by a criminal (or his estate) twice, once on the street and then again in civil court.
Twenty-four states have enacted civil immunity protections for gun owners who are involved in self-defense cases, but Missouri has not.
Our bill would grant those civil protections, and leave you immune to civil suits, unless there is evidence that the force you used was unlawful.
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>>> Third, this bill provides for a pre-trial hearing process that allows you to assert your immunity protections in criminal and civil court BEFORE you go through the court process!
Some states that have these protections only let gun owners use them upon an appeal, after you’ve been through the hell of a nasty criminal case with a prosecutor like Kim Gardner.
But at that point, you’re broke, defeated, and have been branded as a killer. The goal of this section is to allow you to be spared all of that before the trial begins, if the evidence is in your favor.
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Passing MOFC’s House Bill 2118 would fix the gaps in Missouri’s self-defense laws and get us closer in line to what dozens of states around us have already done!
But before we do anything else, we need to get this legislation out of the Government Oversight Committee and into the Rules Committee, and we need to do it fast. So please send your email to the full committee right away.
The liberal news media outlets in Missouri are doing their best to crush this legislation, and they are joined by the radical left in Jeff City! But they are not alone.
The NAACP opposed the bill in committee. Everytown for Gun Safety opposed the bill in committee. So did the Fraternal Order of Police, the Missouri Sheriff’s Association, the Missouri Prosecuting Attorneys Association…the list goes on.
These organizations have one goal: the preserve their power over gun owners here in Missouri. That’s why they’ve opposed every expansion of gun rights going back over the last decade!
And that’s why you must urge the Government Oversight Committee to pass HB-2118 through their committee right away!
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We don’t have a lot of time. Spring Break week in the legislature is rapidly approaching, and it’s important to be through the committee process by that time.
So please send your emails right away. When you’re finished, please forward this email to every gun owner you know and urge them to take action as well.
For Missouri,
Aaron Dorr
Political Director
Missouri Firearms Coalition
P.S. The House Government Oversight Committee heard testimony on MOFC’s House Bill 2118 earlier this week — legislation that would fix the problems with Missouri’s self-defense laws.
It was a heated committee, as you can see from our video above.
Now, every gun control organization in the state is trying to kill this bill in committee! That’s why I hope you’ll hammer on the button below to send your automated email to the members of this committee, urging them to pass HB-2118 RIGHT NOW!
<<< TELL THE COMMITTEE TO PASS HB-2118! >>>
It’s time to pour on the pressure! When you’re done, make sure you send this email to every gun owner you know and tell them to get involved in this fight!