Pam Bondi Ain't a #2A Champion. For Her, It's All About Federal Power!
Bondi DOJ Challenges Missouri’s Second Amendment Preservation Act, Drawing Criticism from Gun Rights Advocates
Bondi DOJ Challenges Missouri’s Second Amendment Preservation Act, Drawing Criticism from Gun Rights Advocates
The Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, has continued to attack Missouri’s Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA), advancing arguments similar to those made by the Biden administration. The move has raised sharp questions from gun rights advocates who say the stance conflicts with President Donald Trump’s executive order instructing agencies to defend the Second Amendment.
Missouri’s SAPA, enacted in 2021, prevents state officers from enforcing certain federal firearms laws that exceed constitutional authority and penalizes state agencies that assist with their enforcement. The law is rooted in a long-standing constitutional principle: the federal government cannot commandeer state officials to carry out federal policy.
That principle has been repeatedly affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, including in cases involving firearms, immigration, environmental rules, and marijuana enforcement. Missouri lawmakers applied the same reasoning to firearms, directing law enforcement to prioritize state law.
Bondi’s DOJ, however, has argued in court that SAPA unlawfully insulates Missouri from federal gun laws and should be struck down. Gun Owners of America (GOA), filing amicus briefs in defense of SAPA, countered that the law does not bar federal agents from enforcing federal statutes, but simply ensures Missouri’s officers cannot be conscripted. Advocates insist the distinction is vital, carrying strong constitutional backing.
Gun rights groups have also highlighted the continuity in DOJ’s position. Trump ordered his agencies to review federal gun policies to roll back infringements, yet the department has pressed forward with the same litigation strategy employed under Biden. Critics say that approach undermines a state law…
IMHO, U. S. Attorneys General are nominated and approved to protect the guilty, not to prosecute the guilty, and when needed, to prosecute the innocent! This applies to both major rogue political parties. When we understand this, questionable actions by a U. S. Attorneys General make more sense.