I’m on my way to Jeff City from the office this morning because the fight that we’ve been engaged in for two years now all comes to a head today in the legislature!
This is the last week of the 2024 legislature session and the fight to pass IP Reform (SJR-74) is likely going to begin today.
I’m going to outline what’s going on. After you’ve read this, please take 5 minutes to contact your Senator and give them a message I’ll provide below.
>>> TELL THE SENATE TO PASS IP REFORM! <<<
At the end of the day, it’s really simple: if IP Reform doesn’t pass, we’ll see Leftist organizations overturn Stand-Your-Ground and Constitutional Carry and then they’ll enact gun control.
Missouri’s Initiative Petition process is the soft underbelly to our state. An Initiative Petition (IP) allows powerful interest groups (think George Soros) to bypass the legislature and put liberal policy into the state constitution.
Right now, the threshold for doing this is very low.
That means that, effectively, STL and KC can combine together to thwart the legislature and destroy the gun rights that MOFC has worked so hard to enact over the last decade.
SJR-74 would fix that, by raising the threshold needed to make changes to our state constitution. But that can’t happen if the Senate doesn’t pass it this week!
The legislature ignored this issue last year and stalled on it this year. Especially in the Senate. We’ve only got a few days left!
That’s why MOFC was putting targeted pressure on Senate leadership last week through digital programs, email alerts, and door-to-door literature drops in their districts.
>>> TELL THE SENATE TO PASS IP REFORM! <<<
When SJR-74 comes up today, the Democrats are going to filibuster. That means they’ll talk on the floor for hours (maybe even days) in an attempt to run out the clock.
If Senate Republicans are weak and leave the building during this filibuster, the Democrats will succeed, as we need 18 Senators in support of IP Reform in the building at all times.
In addition to having 18 GOP Senators present, we need Senate leaders to be willing to use a PQ motion…a ‘previous question’ motion…to break the filibuster if necessary.
A PQ motion is usually reserved for the most important piece of legislative business of the year. It’s how we passed Constitutional Carry in 2021, for example.
Invoking the PQ motion requires some guts on the part of Senate leadership, guts they’ve not shown much of this year.
That’s where MOFC members come in. There is still time for another round of calls and emails into the Senate. And I am asking each of you to do exactly that right now!
>>> TELL THE SENATE TO PASS IP REFORM! <<<
After you send your email, please also call your Senator (if they are a Republican.) When you get your Senator’s staffer on the phone, please tell them four things:
You are a member of the Missouri Firearms Coalition and you’ll be treating the IP Reform vote as a gun rights vote!
You want them to ‘VOTE YES’ on SJR-74!
You want them to be available for a quorum call!
You want them to use the PQ motion to pass SJR-74!
Every Republican Senator is listed below:
Jason Bean: (573)751-4843
Mike Bernskoetter: (573)751-2076
Rusty Black: (573)751-1415
Rick Brattin: (573)751-2108
Justin Brown: (573)751-5713
Benjamin Brown: (573)751-3678
Jill Carter: (573)751-2173
Mike Cierpiot: (573)751-1464
Mary Coleman: (573)751-1492
Sandy Crawford: (573)751-8793
Bill Eigel: (573)751-1141
Karla Eslinger: (573)751-1882
Travis Fitzwater: (573)751-2757
Elaine Gannon: (573)751-4008
Denny Hoskins: (573)751-2272
Lincoln Hough: (573)751-2583
Andrew Koenig: (573)751-2853
Tony Luetkemeyer: (573)751-2183
Mike Moon: (573)751-1480
Cindy Olaughlin: (573)751-7985
Holly Rehder: (573)751-2459
Caleb Rowden: (573)751-3931
Nick Schroer: (573)751-1282
Curtis Trent: (573)751-1503
Remember, this is the last week of session. There is no redo on this. Please help us maintain a constant supply of grassroots pressure on the Senate.
Our gun rights and the future of Missouri are quite literally hanging in the balance.
I’ll be sure to update you throughout the day/week.
For Missouri,
Aaron Dorr
Political Director
Missouri Firearms Coalition
P.S. IP Reform is the most important gun rights issue of the year for gun owners here in Missouri, and it’s expected to come up on the Senate floor today!
There are plenty of ways the Democrats could block it if the Republicans don’t stand tall and fight to pass SJR-74. Read the email above for the details, then contact your Senator immediately!
>>> TELL THE SENATE TO PASS IP REFORM! <<<
We’ll be publishing updates throughout the day on our Facebook page and through our email program.