State lawmakers want to nullify federal gun limits

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- President Barack Obama's call for greater gun restrictions was met with opposition Wednesday in the Missouri Legislature, where Republicans rallied behind measures attempting to nullify any federal ban on semi-automatic weapons and make criminals out of federal agents who try to enforce it.

The state legislation may be largely symbolic, because courts have ruled that federal laws supersede conflicting state laws. Yet the measures stand a decent chance of passing in Missouri, where the Republican-led Legislature has shown a willingness to support legislation contradicting federal policies such as Obama's health-care law.

"We need to stand up for our rights and how we interpret the Constitution here in Missouri," said state Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown, Mo., who filed the legislation in opposition to Obama's gun-control measures.

Munzlinger's legislation would declare unenforceable in Missouri any federal law or executive order that restricts the possession of semi-automatic guns or accessories beyond what existed at the end of 2012, or which requires the registration of any guns or accessories. The legislation also would make it a state felony for federal agents to enforce those restrictions on any guns that are made and remain in Missouri. State law enforcement offices and licensed gun dealers could face misdemeanor charges for enforcing such federal restrictions.

A similar bill filed Tuesday by Missouri state Rep. Casey Guernsey, R-Bethany, Mo., is co-sponsored by more than 60 representatives. Guernsey described his bill as a protection against Obama's proposals.

"Limiting the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is a non-starter," Guernsey said.

But some Democratic lawmakers said the bills are a waste of time, citing the general supremacy of federal laws over state laws. They noted that last year, the Republican-led Legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto to enact a law requiring insurers to exclude birth-control coverage for moral objectors. But a federal judge has temporarily blocked the Missouri law because it conflicts with an insurance mandate under Obama's health-care law.

Missouri state Sen. Kiki Curls, D-Kansas City, supports a ban on the sale of assault weapons and ammunition and believes most urban residents do, too.

"The culture in my district is very different than the culture in rural areas, and the sale of assault rifles and ammunition is of grave concern in my district," Curls said.

-- Associated Press