By Sarah N. Lynch
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that a Missouri state law which aimed to invalidate many federal gun regulations is unconstitutional, handing the U.S. Justice Department a victory in its bid to get the law invalidated.
In a 24-page opinion, U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes for the Western District of Missouri wrote that the state’s Second Amendment Preservation Act (SAPA), also known as “HB85,” violates the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution, a doctrine which holds that federal laws take priority over conflicting state laws.
“SAPA’s practical effects are counterintuitive to its stated purpose,” Wimes wrote.
“While purporting to protect citizens, SAPA exposes citizens to greater harm by interfering with the federal government’s ability to enforce lawfully enacted firearms regulations designed by Congress for the purpose of protecting citizens.”
The Justice Department has previously said that HB85, which was signed into law in June 2021, has harmed partnerships between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and state and local law enforcement.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch in Washington; additional reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
