Thanks to the work of the legislature and grass roots gun owners, Missouri has very strong protections for my Second Amendment rights. However, when it comes to our Stand-Your-Ground law, it’s obvious there is a lot of work to do. Mark and Patricia McCloskey should have never been arrested, let alone indicted, for defending themselves against an out-of-control mob. The fact that they were was unbelievable to me. The fact that Kim Gardner was fundraising off this witch hunt, not to mention materially altering Patricia’s handgun by replacing its broken firing pin, was outrageous! That’s why, as one of your constituents, I’m writing to urge you vote for the Stand-Your-Ground Expansion Act legislation (HB-2118) that was introduced by Representative Jered Taylor and that recently passed the Government Oversight Committee as well as the Rules Committee! This legislation would plug the gaps in Missouri’s self-defense laws in several ways. First, this legislation would provide criminal and civil immunities to gun owners who use reasonable force in a self defense setting. If somebody uses unreasonable force, of course they should be held accountable. But in cases where the force was reasonable, Missourians should never be indicted because a left-wing prosecutor is pursuing a personal agenda! Second, this legislation would provide for a pre-trial immunity hearing for accused gun owners. Frankly, I shouldn’t have to go through the hell of a criminal trial before I am able to invoke Stand-Your-Ground law on appeal. A pre-trial hearing will allow a judge to review the facts of the case and dismiss it before I must go through an ordeal like the McCloskeys did. Third, this legislation would cover the justifiable use of threatened force. Often times criminals flee their intended target once they realize their target is armed. That’s what happened in the McCloskey situation. And that threatened use of force, provided it was justifiable, should be protected by Missouri statute. Fourth, this legislation would cover gun owners who defend themselves in ‘good faith’, even in cases where the threat against them appears differently with the benefit of hindsight. For example, if a would-be rapist threatens to assault a woman with a replica gun, her actions to defend herself should be covered even though the rapist’s handgun was not real. Alternatively, a gun owner who defends himself against an armed robber that is threatening him in a dark parking lot, should not be facing charges when he learns, after the fact, that the upraised knife was really a stick. Finally, this legislation would amend Missouri’s assault statutes. Current law makes it a crime to display a firearm at somebody with the intent to do harm. But in cases where use of force is justified, an exception needs to be made. This is the statute the McCloskeys were attacked with, and this needs to change. As you can see, the Missouri Firearms Coalition’s legislation would provide badly needed upgrades to Missouri’s self-defense laws. Please vote ‘YES on HB-2118 when it comes to the floor!

Like most gun owners here in Missouri, I thought that our Stand-Your-Ground law would have protected Mark and Patricia McCloskey from a politically motivated prosecution. But as I have learned from watching the McCloskey situation and reading the updates from the Missouri Firearms Coalition, our Stand-Your-Ground law has holes in it. Missourians deserve more protection than this. That’s why, as a voter in your district, I am writing to urge you to vote “YES” on the Stand-Your-Ground Expansion Act that has been introduced by Representative Jered Taylor and which recently passed the Government Oversight and Rules Committees. Once passed into law, HB-2118 would provide badly needed criminal and civil immunity protections for Missourians who use reasonable and justifiable force to stop a violent predator. In addition, HB-2118 would cover the threatened use of force in cases where actual force would have been justified. The simple fact of that matter is that gun owners like me do not trust Missouri’s Prosecuting Attorneys to always pursue justice after we saw what happened to Mark and Patricia McCloskey. Missouri’s self-defense laws need an upgrade. Because as things stand today, the same political attack that was launched against the McCloskeys could be launched against me if I am forced to defend myself against a criminal. Please vote ‘YES’ on HB-2118 when it comes to the floor. The Missouri Firearms Coalition will keep me informed about the status of this bill.

After seeing Mark and Patricia McCloskey’s lives turned upside down at the hands of a Soro-funded thuggish prosecutor in St. Louis, it’s clear that Missouri’s self-defense laws need to be overhauled. The Missouri Firearms Coalition and Representative Jered Taylor are working to address these concerns with HB-2118, legislation that would protect law abiding gun owners who use justifiable force in a self-defense situation. This legislation has passed through the Government Oversight Committee and the House Rules Committee and is ready for a vote in the full House. There may have been a time when gun owners could simply trust in our Prosecuting Attorneys to always do the right thing and to pursue justice, not a personal or political agenda. But after seeing what happened to the McCloskeys, those days are gone. And that’s why, as one of your constituents, I am writing to urge you to vote to pass HB-2118 when it comes to the floor! Until we plug the holes in Missouri’s self-defense laws, any one of us could be jailed for the ‘crime’ of defending ourselves. The Missouri Firearms Coalition will keep me informed about the status of this bill.

As a gun owner here in Missouri, I watched in shock as Mark and Patricia McCloskey were indicted on felony charges after they defended themselves against a violent mob who had broken onto their property in 2020. But when I found out that Kim Gardner was fundraising off this politically motived prosecution, and that she had Patricia’s handgun materially altered by having the broken firing pin replaced to facilitate her being charged with a felony, I was stunned! While it’s possible I may have missed it, I never saw you condemn this behavior. Nor do I think you have ever called for legislation that would address the gaping holes Missouri’s self-dense law. That’s why I am writing to you today, as a voter in your district, to urge you to vote yes on HB-2118, the Stand-Your-Ground Expansion Act that has been filed by Representative Jered Taylor and that as recently approved by the Government Oversight and Rules Committees. Self-defense is not a partisan issue. It is our inherent right as a free people, and every politician in Jeff City should support that. In 2022 you have a choice to make. Will you follow your caucus’s anti-gun talking points or will you stand up for everyone’s right to defend themselves? The Missouri Firearms Coalition will keep me informed on the status of this bill and who supports it.