Show-Me State Times

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has initiated legal action against Jackson County, challenging an ordinance that he claims infringes on the Second Amendment rights of adults aged 18 to 20. The lawsuit, filed in collaboration with Gun Owners of America, Inc., aims to stop the enforcement of what Bailey describes as unlawful restrictions on purchasing and possessing handguns and commonly owned firearms.

"Jackson County leaders don’t get to nullify the Constitution just because they disagree with it," stated Attorney General Bailey. He further accused the county's actions of being a strategic move to fulfill political agendas. "We’re taking this fight to Court to defend the rights of every Missourian, because all law-abiding adults are entitled to equal protection under the Constitution."

The contested ordinance, known as Ordinance No. 5865, criminalizes adults aged 18 to 20 for activities protected by both U.S. and Missouri law. It prohibits these individuals from purchasing handguns and ammunition and from possessing certain semiautomatic rifles, which are vaguely defined but include many commonly used firearms.

Missouri law grants exclusive authority over firearm legislation to the state, a point acknowledged by Jackson County’s legal counsel. Despite this, the county legislature pushed forward with the ordinance after overriding a veto from the Jackson County Executive.

The ordinance has affected residents like Leonard Wilson Jr., an 18-year-old member of Gun Owners of America who is unable to legally purchase a handgun from his uncle or possess an AR-15 in Jackson County without risking arrest.

"When constitutional freedoms are threatened, my Office will take action," said Attorney General Bailey. "We’re standing up for the rule of law and the rights of every citizen."

The full lawsuit is available for public reading.