The National Rifle Association is taking some heat from two Missouri state senators over legislation to nullify federal gun control laws within the state.
The NRA is publicly opposing Senate Bill 613, the Second Amendment Preservation Act, because of new language to require a 72-hour period for reporting stolen firearms. The amendment was sponsored by state Sen. JamilahNasheed, D-St. Louis.
"I just am appalled by the fact that the NRA, those individuals that say that they support gun safety and gun security, that they would come out against this bill," Nasheed said.
State Sen. Brian Nieves, R-Washington, Mo., is the bill's sponsor. He says the NRA is confusing Nasheed's amendment with Senate bills 556 and 565, also sponsored by Nasheed, that would make it a crime not to report lost or stolen weapons.
"(Nasheed's) amendment does not create a crime, it does not have a penalty of $1,000, (and) it does not include weapons or firearms that have been lost," Nieves said. "It exclusively talks about firearms that have been stolen."
Nieves told reporters Thursday that he's "not crazy" about Nasheed's amendment but he wants the bill to advance through the legislative process. He also predicts the 72-hour reporting period will be removed when the House and Senate negotiate the final version of the nullification bill.
If it becomes law, Senate Bill 613 would nullify federal gun control laws in Missouri and make it a misdemeanor for federal officers to enforce those laws, punishable by a $1000 fine and up to a year in jail. It received first-round approval, also known as being "perfected," from the Missouri Senate Wednesday, and it needs one more Senate vote before moving to the Missouri House.
So far, no one from the NRA has responded to requests for comment.
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