CAPITOL REPORT

The General Assembly in Jefferson City is now in full swing, and both the Missouri House and Senate have been working long nights debating legislation. With the fillibuster allowed in the Senate, it is not unusual for the Missouri Senate to work very late throughout the night. I’ve had two 7:00 am appointments scheduled the last 2 weeks with our Senator Karla Eslinger, and reluctantly, she had to cancel both. One day the Senate adjourned at 3:30 am and the other at about 6:00 am. We did meet later. I appreciate Karla’s hardwork and her common sense approach to politics.

One priority the Senator and I share is an unbending commitment to the protection of fundamental freedoms and constitutional rights (all of them not just a select few). All sides of the political spectrum sometimes forget or choose to ignore that our Constitution is the supreme law of the land against which all other executive orders, administrative rules, and legislation must be judged. I am not talking about the Holy Bible which commandments are greater but about the Constitution created by our founding fathers and mothers. Its terms should also never be ignored, forgotten, reduced, or replaced by any other order, rule, or statute made by any person or political party, but sadly, constitional rights are frequently left out of political debate. 

Senator Eslinger and I have filed an identical resolution in our respective chambers. The joint goal of this fundamental freedom resolution is simple. In Missouri we want to forever protect our individual Second Amendment rights before it is too late.  

In the landmark 2008 case of District of Columbia vs. Heller, the United States Supreme Court held: “The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with [in addition to] service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.”  The Heller Court goes on to explain that the “right to bear arms” protects all weapons “in common use for lawful purposes.”  These protections are now under constant attack.

There is little doubt that many in our nation’s capitol are working hard to reverse the Heller decision while many others simply choose to ignore it.  Here in the Ozarks, our neighbors and friends ovewhelmingly demand the strictest protection of the fundamental individual right to bear arms, and I strongly agree. 

Our joint constitional resolution is intended to forever draw a bright line of protection. In this state, you can’t legally and must never politically bargain away the fundamental constitional right of individual gun ownership for lawful use.

The resolution has been heard in the Senate and will be heard in the House this week.  I’ll try to keep you posted.

This past week, the House Judiciary Committee has been assigned for hearing a major Senate law enforcement procedures bill (SB 53/60).  One of my good friends in the House is Barry Hovis. We joined up this past week to fight bad language in the bill.  Barry is a retired county sheriff from the Cape Girardeau district, and we consistently vote to “back the blue.” We both agree the Senate bill is too broad and would hurt law enforcement officers just trying to do their job. If we cannot amend it, we will try to kill it in committee or on the House floor, but I’m now pretty sure that we’ve got a wording fix hammered out.  To me, fixing bad language in bills before those bills become law is one of the most important responsibilities we have.  I’ve set a hearing on this bill in House Judiciary for April 21 at 5 pm.         

Now that the COVID scare has been reduced, our Missouri State Capitol has once again been opened up for us to receive visitors and to give tours.  I enjoy visiting with guests and especially miss talking to the many school kids that normally visit the capitol.  Please start calling the office and scheduling a time to tour.  I’d also be glad to travel back to Jeff over summer break for a tour if it would work out better for your group or school in scheduling.  

Please let me know If you have other concerns and suggestions.  I look forward to continuing to represent your common sense, conservative values.  If you would like to schedule a specific time to meet locally, please call my office at 573-751-1455, or email my office at david.evans@house.mo.gov.  

Best regards,

David Evans, Missouri State Representative