Gun Control

A six-week enforcement action over the summer led to 300 southern Illinois residents who were ineligible to own a gun to surrender their Firearm Owner Identification card and get rid of their gun.

The U.S. Justice Department has sued Missouri over its "Second Amendment Preservation Act," which bars local law officials from enforcing federal gun policy and could fine them for doing so.

The Missouri Supreme Court sent a case involving the Second Amendment Preservation Act back to a lower court on Tuesday. The ruling lets St. Louis and Jackson County argue that the law, which prevents police in Missouri from cooperating with federal officials to enforce gun regulations, is unconstitutional.

The suit comes as the Missouri Supreme Court considers a challenge to Missouri’s Second Amendment Preservation Act from St. Louis, St. Louis County and Jackson County.

A St. Louis attorney told the Missouri Supreme Court that the Second Amendment Preservation Act was an "unintelligible statute" that has confused state law enforcement.

St. Louis and St. Louis County have asked a court to overturn the Missouri bill that would fine law enforcement agencies and officers who work with federal agencies to enforce gun regulations.

Republican lawmakers who championed the law claimed they were concerned the Biden administration would tighten gun restrictions.

Missouri's new gun law, which imposes a $50,000 fine on any state or local official who enforces a federal gun law that is not also state law, has a "chilling effect" on some police.

Tonya McCaw and Leslie Washington, leaders with Moms Demand Action's Missouri chapter, discuss their fight for gun reform in Jefferson City.

State Rep. Bill Hardwick, R-Waynesville, talks about his approach to the legislative process — and the debate over the Second Amendment Preservation Act.