Supreme Court Denies Missouri's Request to Reinstate Law Blocking Enforcement of Federal Gun Restrictions

SCOTUS rejects Missouri's emergency application to reinstate Second Amendment Preservation Act, maintains block on law barring enforcement of federal gun restrictions by local police; Justice Clarence Thomas dissents, no reasoning provided behind decision.

The Supreme Court denied Missouri's emergency application to reinstate the Second Amendment Preservation Act, a state law that prohibits local police from enforcing federal firearms restrictions. The decision was unsigned, and Justice Clarence Thomas was the only dissenting vote.
The Second Amendment Preservation Act, signed into law by Missouri Governor Mike Parson in 2021, imposed fines of $50,000 for violations. It barred enforcement of federal firearms laws deemed unconstitutional by the state, including those pertaining to firearms registration and ownership restrictions.
The federal government had sued Missouri in February 2022 to prevent enforcement of the Act. The Justice Department argued that the state law created difficulties in enforcing federal firearms laws and strained law enforcement collaborations.
U.S. District Judge Brian Wimes ruled the Act unconstitutional in March 2023, invoking the Constitution's supremacy clause which states that federal laws override any inconsistent state laws. This decision barred Missouri from enforcing the law.
Following the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit's decision to uphold Wimes's ruling, Missouri Solicitor General Joshua Divine presented the issue to the Supreme Court as a disagreement over Second Amendment interpretation.