KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Cole County, Missouri, judge Friday turned back a legal challenge by the City of St. Louis, and St. Louis and Jackson Counties to prevent the state’s recently passed Second Amendment Preservation Act from taking effect.
Passed by Missouri legislators and signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson, the law seeks to preemptively block any federal gun legislation efforts in the state.
Among the measures in the law is the prohibition of local law enforcement agencies from enforcing federal gun laws, with violators facing fines of up to $50,000.
When the legislation was signed, the United States Department of Justice released a letter saying the law violated the constitution.
In Friday’s ruling, Cole County Circuit Court Judge Daniel R. Green declined to grant the suing parties any relief.
Instead, the judge instructed the suing parties to challenge the law in separate cases.
The judge’s ruling was applauded by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt’s office, which defended the law.
“Since the Second Amendment Preservation Act was passed, I promised to fiercely defend the law and Missourians’ Second Amendment rights - that’s exactly what we did in this case and will continue to do moving forward,” Schmitt said in a statement.
