Missouri Bill Aims To Block Executive Orders On Gun Control

JEFFERSON CITY, MO (KMOX) - Today, President Barack Obama will unveil his plans to reduce gun violence and, due to a lack of congressional support, Mr. Obama could fall back on executive orders.
But that’s not sitting well with one Republican Missouri State Representative. Casey Guernsey (R-Bethany) introduced legislation yesterday which he says would stop any executive order.
“It is simply legislation to protect the basic Second Amendment rights given to Missouri citizens in the Constitution to keep and bear arms in their homes,” he said. “The real problem and the real issue and one I found people don’t seem to focus on is the fact that we got an administration willing to cut into our Second Amendment right by executive order which, by view of a lot of people in Missouri that I’ve been talking to over the last couple months, is unconstitutional in and of itself.”
Guernsey based his bill on similar legislation out of Wyoming. But will it withstand a potential legal challenge? Thus far, Missouri’s Attorney General Chris Koster has not commented on it.
Rep. Guernsey wants to see more done in the way of mental health services, not gun control, and he attributes mental health cuts to the Affordable Care Act.
“It’s really taking even more away from the state’s ability to not only have those discussions, but to have meaningful influence on how our systems are run,” he said. For many years, prior to the Affordable Care Act being instituted, mental health services have always fallen victim to the budget ax. But Guernsey warns that if Missouri’s takes more money from the federal government, it “takes away our ability, in Missouri, to affect how those programs are run.”
Guernsey is confident his bill will get the green light.