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SENT TO GOVERNOR: HB 436 / SB 325 - "Second Amendment Preservation Act"

Started by ChestonU, March 14, 2013, 05:19:36 PM

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ChestonU

Greetings,

I've come out of lurking status to get word out about the following.  We all know there are tons of "gun bills" flying around out there, and it seems that there's lots more press about the "anti" bills, than the "pro" bills. 

So, here's some "pro" bill information for your perusal.

This 'matched pair' of bills are currently moving through committee. These are characterized as the 'strongest' of the various bills being considered by the Missouri legislature. Word out there is that they are seeing fairly wide support from those committees, and have had strong support from large numbers of witness forms in support, with few against.  Here they are, for your informative reading, direct from the House and Senate sites.

HB 436 "Second Amendment Preservation Act"

Information: http://www.house.mo.gov/billsummary.aspx?bill=HB436&year=2013&code=R
Full Text: http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills131/biltxt/intro/HB0436I.htm

SB 325 "Second Amendment Preservation Act"

Information: http://www.senate.mo.gov/13info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=18334868
Full Text: http://www.senate.mo.gov/13info/pdf-bill/intro/SB325.pdf

I would urge you all to look up your representative and/or senator, and make your voice heard on these matched bills.

P.S.: Hopefully I have followed all of the rules regarding posts of this type.  If any changes need to be made, please send me a PM and I will gladly amend this post.  Thanks!

EDIT: The original title/label of "HB 435" was a typo, though links were correct.  The actual bill is "HB 436", and has been corrected.
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

ChestonU

===== UPDATE =====

The hearing for HB 436 will not be this week. We are expecting the public hearing next week, March 5th at 12:00 in Hearing Room 4, but the official hearing schule will not be published until later this week.

The good news is that we have more time to collect witness forms. Please spread the word!

In Missouri, HB 436 and it's companion Senate bill, SB 325, are the bills with the strongest protection against federal infringement of the right to keep and bear arms.

Barring more bad weather that confounds the schedule, we expect a public hearing for HB 436, the Second Amendment Preservation Act, in the House General Laws Committee. This committee is predisposed to support this bill, but additional input from the general public can never hurt!


To make your voice heard, you can submit a witness form that will be PRINTED and DELIVERED personally to the committee.  In addition, it will be made available online for the committee to read.

Witness Form for HB436: http://www.libertytools.org/LibertyTools/witness/witness2.php?template=15

Kansas has already passed their own version of this same legislation, and it's now on KS Governor Sam Brownback's desk!  Now is the time to have our input recognized, so that action can be taken on this bill before the end of this current legislative session.
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

ChestonU

===== UPDATE =====

HB 436 has passed the Missouri House.  Now it must go to the Senate.

The following people were instrumental in advancing this bill through the House, in case you wish to contact them to provide your feedback.

Rep. Doug Funderburk, Sponsor. 

Rep. Tim Jones, Speaker of the House and first cosponsor of HB 436. Tim's desk is where the buck stops in the House. Everyone knows that nothing happens in the House of Representatives without his blessing.

Rep Caleb Jones, Chairman of the General Laws committee. Caleb had to provide the time in a committee that is chock-full of the most important bills in the House. Without his support, HB 436 would have never seen the light of day.

Rep. Jeanie Riddle, Chair of the Rules Committee. Jeanie, a long time 2nd Amendment supporter, made sure HB 436 was expedited through Rules, which is a critical stop along the path to passage.

Rep. John Diehl, Majority Floor leader. It's John's job to schedule bills on the floor. He had to make time for HB 436 on a crowded calendar. Without the floor leader's cooperation, no bill get's before the whole House for a vote.

Then there's the 115 Reps who voted yes on the final vote, some of whom were Democrats with the courage to vote against the majority of their party. For a full list of the yeas and nays, scroll down the the "third read and passed" section for HB 436 in Thursdays House Journal.

You can see it here: http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills131/jrnpdf/jrn054.pdf


Most bills never make it this far, but there is still much more to do.


=== WHAT'S NEXT? ===

- Monday, April 22 - First Read in the Senate. HB 436 is formally introduced to the Senate.

- Tuesday, April 23 - Second Read in the Senate. After this, at the pleasure of the President pro tem of the Senate, Tom Dempsey, the bill will be assigned to (probably) the General Laws Committee. Sen. Dempsey can choose to expedite this process, or delay. If he chooses to, the bill will be assigned that same day.

- The chair of the General Laws Committee, Sen. Brian Nieves, must then schedule a hearing. Potentially, if he wants to bad enough, that hearing can be as soon as 24 hours after the bill is assigned to his committee. Sen. Nieves has committed to passing HB 436 out of his committee the same day he holds the hearing. His own SB 325, the Senate version of HB 436, has already been through the committee process, so the trail has been blazed.

- After the Senate hearing, the bill is back in the pro tem, Sen. Tom Dempsey's hands. He can either promptly place it on the Senate calendar for the entire Senate to consider, or he can delay the bill.

- Once on the calendar, it's up to the Majority Floor Leader, Sen. Ron Richard, to make time for debate and "perfection" before the whole Senate. At this time, amendments can be offered and opponents can filibuster the bill, so Ron's support will be key -- he needs to be willing to give it all the time needed to wear out any filibuster.

- After perfection, no more amendments are allowed. It's, again, up to floor leader Ron Richard to allow it the time to overcome another potential filibuster.

- Once the Senate passes the bill, if there are any changes, it will have to go back to the House for another up or down vote.

- After the House votes again, the bill will be delivered to the Governor to sign, veto, or do nothing, in which case it becomes law automatically.

- If he vetoes it and there's more than 15 days left in the session, the legislature can attempt to override his veto before May 17th. If there's less than 15 days, it will have to wait for the standard September veto session.

===

As you can see, there is a lot of work yet to be done, but not a lot of time to do it in.  Now is the time to contact any of the people above, as well as your Senator, and make your voice heard on this bill.  I encourage all of you to do so, and be a part of the process. 
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

Pain Killer

Thank you for this information. You should consider taking an orange or blue hat and helping as with our mission. Our mission will not only help to save the 2nd Amendment but the entire Country. We must wake up our fellow Americans! Please continue to keep us informed.

Long Live the Republic,

PK
"We have staked the whole of all our political Institutions upon the capacity of mankind for Self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to The Ten Commandments of God." - James Madison

ChestonU

Alas, I would love to.  I have many reasons (excuses) for not having joined in an Appleseed event, or volunteered just yet.  The most prominent of which being that my weekly work schedule does not include a day off on either saturdays nor sundays.  If my current land was more conducive (IE: if I could afford to construct a proper backstop for enough lanes), I would gladly offer it as a location for a local event in my area.

I'm very much a silent supporter of Appleseed, and while I cannot participate openly, it is why I come here and post.   I do practice my marksmanship at home, on my own private land, and I am active in communicating my views and expectations to my representatives on the state and federal level.  I am in a unique position to do this, as I am a former student to one of my nearby State Representatives, so I will sometimes send her communication, knowing that hearing from someone she knows and helped educate will carry weight.  My family are native residents and neighbors to my federal House Representative.  My parents actively attend her town halls and meetings when they are held in our town.

I consider myself a proud patriot, both of the United States, and of the State of Missouri.  I may not be able to actively participate in Appleseed, but that does not mean I cannot be active ...because everyone can do something.  That's what Appleseed is all about, after all.
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

scuzzy

Quote from: ChestonU on April 19, 2013, 02:56:14 PM
I consider myself a proud patriot, both of the United States, and of the State of Missouri.  I may not be able to actively participate in Appleseed, but that does not mean I cannot be active ...because everyone can do something.  That's what Appleseed is all about, after all.

Absolutely.
An Armed Society is a polite society. Heinlein.

ChestonU

=== UPDATE ===

Having passed the House of Representatives with a veto-proof majority of 115 to 41, HB 436 now goes to the Senate.

The date of the public hearing is not yet set as of this writing. However, witness forms are now being accepted for this hearing.   Witness forms are entered into the record as if you had appeared and spoken at the hearing in person.  If you cannot attend the hearing in person, then a witness form is the next best thing, and I urge everyone reading this to fill one out.

Here is the link: http://www.libertytools.org/LibertyTools/witness/witness2.php?template=25

These witness forms will be HAND DELIVERED, on paper, at the hearing.  This sends a powerful message to your lawmakers, and it does hold great weight when stacks upon stacks of witness forms are delivered in front of their eyes, in this manner.

I strongly urge all of you to fill out a witness form.  America is unique in the world, where the people's voice can be heard, counted, weighed, and listened to - not just at the voting booth - but beyond. Do not pass up such a precious opportunity.
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

ChestonU

=== UPDATE ===

Senate hearing today!

Committee: General Laws, Senator Brian Nieves, Chairman

Date: Wednesday, April 24

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Room: SCR 2

HCS HB 436 - Funderburk

Establishes the Second Amendment Preservation Act which rejects all federal acts that infringe on a Missouri citizens' rights under the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution

EXECUTIVE SESSION MAY FOLLOW
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

ChestonU

=== UPDATE ===

General Laws chairman, Sen. Brian Nieves, scheduled this special hearing and expedited the process by holding an executive session on the bill at the same hearing.

They voted to pass the bill on to the full Senate by a vote of 4 to 1 (a couple of senators were not present).

The next step for this bill is to be placed on the Senate calendar by president pro tem of the Senate, Tom Dempsey.   Sen. Dempsey was quick to assign it to the General Laws committee, so he is expected to do the same for the next step.

Once on the calendar, it will be up to majority floor leader, Sen. Ron Richard, to bring it to the floor for debate and "perfection" by the whole senate.  After that, the senate will have one more up or down vote.  Sen. Richard will need to allow it enough time to overcome opposition and potential filibuster.

The last step will be hammering out any differences between the language in the bill as it passed the House versus what the Senate passed.
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

ChestonU

==== ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ====

As you all may or may not be aware, during the legislative process, bills often are rewritten and/or changed.  Items are added or taken away, and language is clarified.

I would like to post a NEW link for HB436, which has the full text in it's entirety.  This is the version that was perfected in the House, and then sent to the Senate Committee that just approved it to go to the full Senate.

FULL BILL: http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills131/hlrbillspdf/1204S.04C.PDF

I have read the law and it's changes to the current firearms statutes.  I will attempt to summarize points of interest which differ from the current laws, for  your quick reference.

--- NOTE: Things may still change during the Senate's "perfection" process.  It then must be approved by the House again, if anything was changed.


==== SUMMARY ====

* Declares IN DETAIL the Constitutional authority from which this bill derives it's power, and which Federal powers Missouri does and does not recognize in regard to the Second Amendment. This bill devotes the first 7 sections (SEVENTY lines) to declaring it's authority in writing, and the purpose/justification of this bill.  This by itself is worth your attention to read it fully!

* Declares NULLIFICATION of All federal firearms laws past, present, and future, regarding firearms manufactured, sold, and possessed entirely within the state of Missouri.  This includes:
- - Federal Gun Control Act of 1934
- - Federal Gun Control Act of 1968
- - Any Federal tax, levy, fee, stamp, registering, or tracking imposed on firearms, firearm accessories, ammunition not common to all other goods and services, or owners of the same, which could have a "chilling effect" on the purchase or ownership of those items by law-abiding citizens
- - Any act forbidding the possession, ownership, or use or transfer of any type of firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition by law-abiding citizens
- - Any act ordering the confiscation of firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition from law-abiding citizens.
- - Prohibits all state ENFORCEMENT of the above nullified laws for the covered "in-state" firearms.

* Provides actual state protection for the above NULLIFICATION in the following ways:
- - Declares duty of the Courts and Law Enforcement Agencies of this state to protect citizens' rights as defined above.
- - Declares no public officer or employee of the state has authority to even attempt to enforce any of the infringements defined above.
- - Makes it ILLEGAL for any official, agent, or employee of the U.S. government to even attempts to enforce above infringements (Class A misdemeanor)
- - Any Missouri Citizen shall have cause to seek a Declaratory Judgement and damages against any person or entity seeking to enforce infringements above.

* Makes it ILLEGAL to publish or sell information to the public about who owns firearms, or has firearm licenses - (Class A Misdemeanor)

* Specifically prohibits requiring BY LAW, but does not prohibit the practice of, health care professionals inquiring about, documenting, or reporting to law enforcement about owning firearms

* Declares STATE PREEMPTION for Open Carry for valid CCW holders (however, weapons must be at or under 16" in overall length)

*- Prohibits the disarming or physically restraining of a person Open or Concealed carrying a Handgun, in the absence of "reasonable and articulable suspicion of criminal activity"

* Requires valid CCW holders who are carrying open or concealed to have their license on their person, and produce it on demand to law enforcement.

* Establishment of "School Protection Officers", their requirements, powers, and limitations;
- - POST (Peace Officer Standards Training) Commission to set standards for and provide training.
- - SPO's are drawn from school teachers or administrators, the duty is voluntary
- - SPO's are required to carry concealed firearms at all times while on school property - violation requires immediate removal from classroom and subject to termination.
- - SPO's candidates must have a valid CCW before being allowed to apply/train, subject to background checks
- - SPO's may detain "on view", any person the officer sees or has reasonable grounds to believe has violated any law of the state, for up to 4 hours - must turn over to law enforcement ASAP.
- - Funding for additional compensation for SPO duty cannot come from the State, local districts are responsible for it



There are still many details in the overall law that I have not listed here. This is just an 'overall gist' and not meant to be legal advice or guidance.  I highly suggest everyone follow the link above and read the law yourselves.  This law might STILL CHANGE before it is passed, and I will try to keep you as up to date as possible on it.  Of course, any change will require it to go back to the House to be approved.  If passed As-is, depending on if it obtains a veto-proof majority or not, it could become law very, very soon.
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

ChestonU

==== UPDATE ====

HB436 is scheduled to have a third reading and debate in the Senate on Monday, April 29.

HB 436 - Funderburk - Establishes the Second Amendment Preservation Act which rejects all federal acts that infringe on a Missouri citizens' rights under the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution
LR Number: 1204S.04C
Bill Title: SCS HCS HB 436
4/25/2013 - Reported from S General Laws Committee to Floor w/SCS - S914-415
4/29/2013 - S Formal Calendar H Bills for Third Reading--HCS for HB 436, with SCS


Whew!  Things are moving very fast on this, I have to watch it constantly.
I will continue to try to keep you all up to date, as soon as information becomes available!
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

ChestonU

==== UPDATE ====

On Monday HB 436 was debated for about an hour on the Senate floor.  It was an opportunity to "test the waters" and not the only opportunity it will get.

HB 436 has made tremendous progress over the last couple of weeks, but it's toughest step is still ahead -- senate passage.

Navigating that last step is dependent on majority floor leader, Sen. Ron Richard, more than anything else.  It's up to him to allow it the time to survive what could be drawn out debate or filibuster, since he controls which bills get to the floor.

Please take time RIGHT AWAY to send a short note to him by regular mail.  Write "HB 436" on the outside of the envelope.

Senator Ron Richard
201 W Capitol Ave., Rm. 321
Jefferson City, Missouri 65101

Please do not call his office unless you have a personal relationship with Sen. Richard.

Note that there's no indication that he's opposed to this bill, we just want to remind him how important it is to us.
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

ChestonU

==== UPDATE ====

I've just read a breaking update.  I don't have further details, but here's what I've seen.

The bill passed the Missouri Senate by a vote of 26 to 6.

The Senate committee did remove one unrelated amendment that the House had put in there. It therefore goes back to the House for "concurrence", and then on to the Governor's desk.

I will update this post as details become more forthcoming.
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

Pain Killer

Sounds like a great step in the right direction for your State! Hope this is repeated in other states! Will your Governor sign it?

PK
"We have staked the whole of all our political Institutions upon the capacity of mankind for Self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to The Ten Commandments of God." - James Madison

ChestonU

We are not sure.  However, the margins by which this bill is passing make it pretty well Veto-Proof.  IF the bill reaches the Governor's desk in time, he doesn't have to sign it.  He can simply let it pass into law without a Veto.    If he does Veto it, there may still be time for the Veto to be overridden, which is why the bill is being pushed as fast as possible before this session ends.

Kansas and Alabama already passed theirs. and Kansas is already in a showdown with USAG Eric Holder via letters, which is in the news.  NOW is the time to be involved! Big things are happening.
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

ChestonU

=== UPDATE ===

The final version of HB 436, "SCS HCS HB 436" that was sent back to the House of Representatives to confirm the Senate's amendments passed the bill in a vote of 116 to 36, in a late-night session last night, and has sent it to the Governor.

This means that both the House and Senate have officially passed it with a Veto-proof majority at this time.

UPDATED TEXT:

Because there have been changes, I strongly suggest everyone read the full text of the bill in it's final version, to be sure you understand all of the provisions.

Full Text: http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills131/hlrbillspdf/1204S.04C.PDF


WHAT'S NEXT:

The Governor can do one of 3 things.

1. Sign the bill, making it become part of Missouri law.

2. Veto the bill. In this case, the bill is returned to the General Assembly where a two-thirds vote of both houses is required to override the veto.  If this happens, the vote will be held during a special session of the Missouri legislature in early September.

3. Not sign the bill. Should the Governor take no action within the prescribed time, the bill goes to the Secretary of State, who then enrolls the bill as an authentic act. It then becomes law.
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

ChestonU

=== UPDATE ===

SOURCE: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elizabeth-crisp/friday-roundup-of-missouri-politics/article_b64a1baa-b8f5-5d6a-b70c-03ae1fd9b0ef.html

QuoteGov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat who opened the National Rifle Association's convention in St. Louis last year, said he hasn't decided how he will act on the legislation.

"I haven't even gotten to trying to read that yet," Nixon told reporters Friday. "It seemed like, during the discussion, people were saying extreme things - on each side."

The Governor has not yet read the final passed version of this bill yet. 

Remember, If he vetoes it and there's more than 15 days left in the session, the legislature can attempt to override his veto before May 17th. If there's less than 15 days, it will have to wait for the standard September veto session.   This means there is a greater chance that legislators could be pressured to change their stance on the bill.

I encourage everyone to contact the Governor's office and make your voices heard, and encourage him to act on bill with all possible speed.

You may contact the Governor's office using this form: http://governor.mo.gov/contact/
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me

ChestonU

=== Quasi-Update ===

Today is the last day of the Missouri Legislature session (5-17-2013).

I am consolidating information gathered during my coverage of this issue, so that it's all in one place.
This is in an effort to answer the question "When will we know if these Bills have become law, or not?"

The following two firearms bills are now on the Governor's desk:

SCS HCS HB 436 "Second Amendment Preservation Act"
http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills131/hlrbillspdf/1204S.04C.PDF

Passed House By: 116 to 36 (Veto Proof, by 14 votes)
Passed Senate By: 26 to 6 (Veto Proof)
Passed on Date: 5-08-2013
Effective Date if Enacted: August 28, 2013



In related news, everyone's likely heard about the controversy over Concealed Carry permits. The bill dealing with this is as follows:

HCS/SB 75 - http://www.senate.mo.gov/13info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=16968488
Concealed Carry Changes (Solely issued by Sheriffs - no DOR involvement, Minimum age 19, Open to Legal Perm. Residents)

Passed House By: 123 to 29 (Veto Proof)
Passed Senate By: 24 to 5 (Veto Proof)
Passed on Date: 5-16-2013
Effective Date if Enacted: August 28, 2013 (transfer of records), January 1, 2014 (Issuance of new "Concealed Carry Permits")



Both of these bills passed with less than 15 days left in the Legislative session.

This means that Governor Jay Nixon now has 45 days after the end of the session in order to act (Sign or Veto), otherwise they will automatically become law.

In other words, the Governor has until July 2, 2013 to outright veto these bills, or they will become law, with or without his signature.  As stated before, if he does decide to veto the bills, the September session of the Missouri Legislature would then have to vote to override the Veto.
"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me


Johnnyappleseed

Way to go Missouri ^ 5

You are an inspiration to liberty loving folks everywhere . The founders are looking down with pride at the efforts to retain what they avhieved.

The huge Internet forum CALGUNS.net has several pages of comments regarding this Missouri legislation .
If your inclined to view what Californians write ,it is in the second amendment legal and political discussion section . This link may get you there http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/forumdisplay.php?f=71
Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
Calvin Coolidge

ChestonU

Thanks for the replies and encouragement.

When I started this thread, I just wanted to spread the word.  I didn't imagine it would take so much internet 'legwork' to run down all the details.  It often involves hours of daily reading and googling through articles from all sorts of online newspapers, government websites, and pouring over the changing full text of the bills themselves to run down small details like what the vote count was, or the date it goes effective.

Your encouragement has kept me motivated to keep going with it.  I'm even considering starting up a Blog, once I have a more solid idea of what I want to blog about.

--- In other news ---

We didn't get EVERYTHING we wanted this session. We ran out of time in the final minutes of the session yesterday for the following...

SJR 14 - To present to the voters of Missouri a Ballot initiative to add the word "unalienable" to the Missouri Constitution, regarding the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.    One word, that's all it changed... but that word changes everything in regard to the coming legal battles likely to result from HB 436 and SB 75.

WHY WAS SJR 14 SO IMPORTANT?

When a citizen claims that a law violates his constitutional rights the courts must decide how to measure that violation against the interests of the state. The law can come under strict scrutiny, in which case there had better be a very compelling reason to diminish the liberty of the citizen, or the law can be evaluated by a lesser standard.

For example, two basic standards of review are, 1) The Compelling State Interest Test, and 2) The Rational Basis Test.

For most of the history of American jurisprudence, strict scrutiny, like the Compelling State Interest test, was employed any time the law in question has a serious effect on someone's rights. That level of strict scrutiny required that there be a real and substantive imminent threat of some great evil to society. The phrase "clear and present danger" comes to mind.

More recently, courts have compartmentalized our rights - some, they claim, deserve stricter review of infringing laws than others. Civil rights cases and First Amendment issues are more likely to enjoy the strict scrutiny standard.

The rational basis test is the loosest standard - with it, about any excuse ("rationality") under the sun can and has been used to undermine constitutionally guaranteed rights.

The main effect of SJR 14 would have been to require that the courts use the Compelling State Interest Test when evaluating laws that infringe on the right to keep and bear arms.

If Missouri voters somehow get SJR 14 on the ballot and get it adopted (and they will, if given the chance), they will be able to pit the strongest of state constitutional rights against mere federal statutes, if push comes to shove.  With that one word, "unalienable", in Missouri's Article I Sec. 23, even our Second Amendment Preservation Act is more effective.

However, the measure was amended by Rep. Rick Brattin (Who just happens to be MY district rep - and will hear from me about this), making the Senate have to confirm the amendment during the last minutes of the Session, putting the measure at risk of another filibuster.  Because of a last minute (literally) filibuster, even though the Senate would have confirmed it if they'd been able to vote, time ran out.

I am not sure what our options are to get SJR 14 back on the ballot.  We may try again next session. We may be able to start a Petition drive to create a Ballot initiative.  I have more research to do!


---

Still, we have had large victories in Missouri this session.  Don't forget to thank your Reps and Senators for their efforts.

P.S. - During my hours of reading, LOTS of media outlets paint Missouri as full of uncaring, unfeeling, dumb, crazy, backwoods hillbillies.  One local columnist even suggested we change our State Motto from "Show-Me State" to the "Do-It-Yourself" state.   The eyes of the nation really are on us.  That's why these issues are so important, especially when it comes to the goals of Project Appleseed.  If you want to wake people up and show them what's going on in the world - I would say we're succeeding!

"The best weapon anyone can have, is a sharp mind, and the courage to use it." - Me