House Supports Basic Rights

This week the Missouri House advanced another piece of legislation to enhance your Second Amendment rights with HB 533, sponsored by Representative Jeanie Riddle (R-49). This bill grants state employees the right to store a firearm in their vehicle on state property, as long as the vehicle is locked and the firearm out of sight.

The aim of this legislation is simply to ensure that state employees are not denied the right to defend themselves while traveling to and from work. There are several instances in which having a firearm in one’s vehicle would ensure safety and even save lives. Suppose that, upon pulling into their driveway, a person is confronted by an assailant. If the person has a firearm, they can defend themselves and their loved ones from possible harm, and prevent a needless tragedy.

There are few places a person is more helpless as when they are stranded on the side of the road late at night. If a person has a wreck or if their car breaks down, they are at the mercy of passersby. Even with a cell phone, friends or the police may not arrive on the scene for several minutes – which can be a common occurrence in rural areas. During that time, any individual, alone and exposed, is at risk for assault. A firearm, kept in the vehicle during the work day, puts power back into this person’s hands.

There are also less alarming applications for this law. A law-abiding state employee who enjoys hunting or target practice in their leisure time could store their firearms in their car and continue on to the shooting range right after work. This would save time and – especially important with today’s prices – gasoline.

Self-defense is the most basic of rights. HB 533 acknowledges this foundational part of American law and simply allows state employees full advantage of their right to personal safety.