Missouri law prohibiting police from enforcing federal gun laws is struck down by court

Federal appellate judges recently overturned a Missouri law that restricted police from implementing certain federal gun laws. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the Missouri law violated the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, which states that federal law holds precedence over state laws. Judge Steven Colloton emphasized that a state cannot invalidate federal law.

Missouri’s Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey expressed that his office is examining the decision, reaffirming his commitment to preserving Missourians’ Second Amendment rights. The U.S. Justice Department, which initiated the lawsuit against Missouri, chose not to provide a statement. The Missouri law prohibited law enforcement from enforcing federal gun laws that lack an equivalent state law, imposing a fine of $50,000 per officer for violations.

Federal laws not mirroring Missouri statutes included regulations on weapons registration, tracking, and firearm possession by specific domestic violence perpetrators. The law has been suspended since 2023 when the U.S. Supreme Court interjected while the legal dispute unfolded in lower courts. The disagreement over the law disrupted a collaboration on crime-fighting with U.S. attorneys, a program once promoted by Missouri’s former Republican attorney general Eric Schmitt, who is currently a U.S. senator.

Under Schmitt’s Safer Streets Initiative, attorneys from the state AG’s office were deputized as assistant U.S. attorneys to help combat violent crimes. The Justice Department noted that the Missouri state crime lab, managed by the Highway Patrol, refused to process evidence beneficial for federal firearms prosecutions following the law’s implementation. Republican legislators behind the law cited concerns over potential new gun restrictions under President Joe Biden, who enacted a comprehensive gun violence bill tightening background checks for young gun buyers, preventing more domestic violence offenders from accessing firearms, and assisting states in enacting red flag laws.