THE 100 REPORT
Watch This Biased Report that Aired on SAPA (Second Amendment Preservation Act)
Watch Full Video Here. It's looking like next legislative session we will be in for a real battle to preserve the Second Amendment Preservation Act. Why? Because some of the opponents, including Republicans, who thought the courts would strike it down now realize that it IS constitutional.
And also because MO SAPA does, in fact, have real teeth and that's causing some prosecutors and other officials to change some of their ways.
Rolla Police Chief Sean Fagan said that there are "many things in this bill that are putting handcuffs on us. It’s terrible". Of course, the whole Constitution, including the Second Amendment, is designed to handcuff government. The thing that makes America different is our commitment to constitutionally limited government, and SAPA is merely an extension or implementation of that commitment.
State senator Justin Brown seems to be swayed by the complaint of people like Chief Fagan and has vowed to weaken SAPA in 2022. He laments the fact that we were able to keep the bill out of his committee, where he would have gutted it. Read this: https://www.phelpscountyfocus.com/news/article_13b5a384-3839-11ec-961c-4bf5cdec1e3a.html
PERVERSE INCENTIVE- Federal Money
What we are finding out is that the most vocal opponents of SAPA have perverse incentive to oppose it. Federal Money.
There are at least two ways they stand to lose federal money as a result of SAPA, and that has SOME law enforcement agencies choosing money over protecting your gun rights.
The federal Equitable Sharing Program is an end run around Article IX, Section 7 of the Missouri Constitution and Chapter 513.623 of state statutes, which require proceeds from forfeitures to go to public schools and not the agency that seized the goods. The federal program is what the Institute for Justice calls "Policing for Profit," because the agency that takes cash or goods gets to keep 80% of the loot -- BUT ONLY if they are seizing property under FEDERAL law.
Another source of perverse incentive is the Federal per diem payments available to local jails for housing federal prisoners. The feds pay 2 to 3 times more per prisoner per day than the state pays. No doubt, some of the new state of the art jails erected in places like Phelps County and Green County were justified by the federal money, and that means incentive to charge defendants with federal crimes because it pays better, not because they think justice will better be served.
ANOTHER END RUN
Of course, none of these people will admit that they are putting a federal revenue stream ahead of their duty to protect your rights. Instead, they claim they want to be able to lock up the bad guys for longer times than Missouri law allows, so they press federal charges.
That not only results in an unrighteous end run around our state elected officials, who establish what Missouri believes to be just penalties, but it also makes an end run around the spirit, if not the law, of Article I, Section 3 of the Missouri Constitution, which says "the people of this state have the inherent, sole and exclusive right to regulate the internal government and police thereof."
An example of that is their desire to take away the gun rights of people convicted of federal misdemeanor crimes in contrast to Missouri law, which says you only lost the right to bear arms upon a felony conviction.
MISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN
The 60 Minute report made it sound like SAPA prohibits all relationships between Missouri law enforcement and federal agencies. That is simply not true.
In fact, SAPA expressly says, "Nothing in sections 1.410 to 1.480 shall be construed to prohibit Missouri officials from accepting aid from federal officials in an effort to enforce Missouri laws."
And they want to make it sound like the police can't be certain they are on the right side of the SAPA law, but it's actually very simple -- all they have to do is make sure they only charge people with Missouri gun crimes, not federal gun crimes.
THE THREAT TO SAPA IS REAL
Some prosecutors and police administrators have gotten the attention of the media, including CBS 60 Minutes. Watch this biased report that aired Sunday: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/missouri-gun-law-second-amendment-preservation-act-60-minutes-2021-11-07/
Even Governor Parson seems to be falling for the misinformation campaign.
He seems to have forgotten that we the man who said he's going to ban "assault rifles" and enact magazine size limits is STILL president.
And he seems to have forgotten that we live in a time when the feds want to weaponize OSHA and label parents as "terrorists" when they complain to the local school board.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
* Call, write, or email both your state rep and senator and tell them not mess with SAPA.
* Tell Governor Parson the same thing. For contact information, see: https://governor.mo.gov/
* Also tell them to pass a law that outlaws participation in the federal civil asset forfeiture program.
*And please watch for alerts about bills that will gut or weaken SAPA.
Who is Running for Floor Leader of Missouri Senate?
With Caleb Rowden out of the race for congress, he has renewed his commitment to the Senate pledging to run as President Pro Temp with the conclusion of Senator Schatz term. Several names are being tossed around as actively or potentially exploring a race for Senate Floor Leader including Senators Bill White, Mike Cierpiot, and Mike Bernskoetter.
Republican Rep. Chad Perkins Back in the Hot Seat
Last year rumors surged when a young woman accused newly elected republican Rep. Chad Perkins of sexual assault while she was drunk and he was a police officer on duty. The stories died down without much fanfare but have appeared to gain steam once again as a judge appointed Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt as a special prosecutor to consider criminal charges against Perkins. Schmitt was appointed special prosecutor by request of the local prosecutor who said they knew Perkins personally and should not be involved with the case.
Congress approves $1.2 trillion “infrastructure bill”
House lawmakers late Friday adopted a roughly $1.2 trillion measure to improve the country’s roads, bridges, pipes, ports and Internet connections, overcoming their own internecine divides to secure a long-sought burst in federal investment and deliver President Biden a major legislative win. The bipartisan 228-to-206 vote marked the final milestone for the first of two pieces in the president’s sprawling economic agenda. The outcome sends to Biden’s desk an initiative that promises to deliver its benefits to all 50 states, a manifestation of his 2020 campaign pledge to rejuvenate the economy in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and “build back better.” The path to passage proved littered with political conflict, pushing to the limits a fractious party with still-widening ideological fissures. Democrats initially hoped to approve the infrastructure bill on Friday along with a separate, roughly $2 trillion proposal to overhaul the nation’s health care, education, immigration, climate and tax laws. Doing so would have advanced two spending initiatives that have been stalled on Capitol Hill for months.
Remove the Gimmicks, Biden's Spending Bill Costs Double
Sen. Joe Manchin drew the ire of fellow Democrats on Nov. 1 by raining on President Joe Biden's big government parade. As Biden and leaders in Congress attempted to hammer out a deal on his so-called "human infrastructure" bill, Manchin's vote was key to everything. Democrats have only 50 senators, and they need every one to support this legislation if it is to pass. So it was a moment of bitter disappointment when Manchin disparaged it, dashing all hopes that it would go through."As more of the real details outlined in the basic framework are released, what I see are shell games," the West Virginian said. "Budget gimmicks that make the real cost of the so-called $1.75 trillion bill estimated to be almost twice that amount, if the full time is run out, if you extended it permanently. And that we haven't even spoken about." This sent liberal Democrats through the roof, but if anything, Manchin was understating the case. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Business School published a simulated budget document that removes all of the gimmicks from this bill. It turns out that it ends up costing $4.1 trillion, more than twice the advertised price, over 10 years. Its tax increases come to $1.5 trillion. Not only is that considerably more expensive than advertised, but it's also a lot farther from being paid for than anyone would have expected, let alone how Biden represents it.
Read Full Editorial Here.
The 100 Newsletter is intended to be a conservative review of the most up to date, inside information of what is going on in Missouri Politics and does not reflect an endorsement of any campaign or committee.