JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, filed legislation this week that would allow the state of Missouri to reject unconstitutional executive orders, rules and regulations from federal agencies.
“This is a problem that has been growing for some time now. Federal and executive overreach into our state sovereignty is only going to be stopped with bold and resolute action,” Sen. Brattin said. “That’s what this bill does. It says we, the state of Missouri, are actually responsible for dealing with this issue or addressing a particular domestic policy, not the federal government. We have a responsibility to safeguard the constitutional rights of the people of Missouri, even from the federal government, and Senate Bill 588 gives us a way to do this.”
Under Senate Bill 588, the Missouri Legislature would have the authority to review the constitutionality of federal actions, like executive orders, and, if necessary, refuse to allow their enforcement within the state. The Legislature could also recommend the attorney general review the same sort of federal actions and seek an exemption for Missouri. If the attorney general declines to act in these cases, then the Legislature could pass legislation deeming the federal acts unconstitutional.
“This isn’t just about the current president,” Sen. Brattin said. “It’s about the slow creep of national intervention and the expansion of federal power that has been going on for decades. The president and the federal bureaucracy don’t have unlimited power. It’s time the states reminded them of it, and we better do it before there are more attacks on Second Amendment rights and our national borders are thrown open.”
Since taking office in January, the president has signed more than 30 executive orders on issues ranging from American taxpayers paying for foreign abortions to removing border security measures put in place during the previous administration.