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Gubernatorial candidates chime in on potential presidential gun control action

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As Alabama and Texas governors preemptively respond to possible executive action by President Barack Obama, Missouri’s Republican gubernatorial candidates have made their displeasure with the policies known.

Businessman John Brunner started a petition to rally Missourians around the 2nd Amendment.

Brunner
Brunner

“Our office holders in Missouri have a constitutional duty to fight against attacks on our inalienable rights,” John Brunner stated in a release. “On day one as Governor, I will immediately use every legal means available to defend our constitutional rights, to protect ourselves and our families as guaranteed by our 2nd Amendment. My administration will send a clear message: Any federal or state laws which infringe on our constitutional right to keep and bear arms will be immediately challenged in court.

“As a life-long constitutional conservative and a United States Marine, I am ready to lead the fight to protect our U.S. Constitution and our Missouri Constitution. Our next governor must be ready on day one to stand up to any President, regardless of party, on the side of the people against egregious federal overreach. The battle-line is clear, I will stand with Missourians ready to fight back.”

An email to supporters goes on to urge the concerned to sign the petition to “fight back.”

Former federal prosecutor and gubernatorial candidate Catherine Hanaway also released a statement in anticipation of the President’s announcement of new gun control regulations.

Hanaway
Hanaway

“President Obama’s proposed restrictions on firearms owners constitutes an attack on every American’s Second Amendment rights. For the past seven years, President Obama has shown a blatant disregard for the U.S. Constitution, and time after time he has violated individual liberties with unconstitutional executive actions.  As Governor, my administration will immediately challenge unconstitutional executive actions in court and will work tirelessly to protect individual liberties and keep the federal government out of all Missourians’ gun cabinets. Today, I am urging Congress to take immediate steps to defund any further attacks on law-abiding Americans’ Second Amendment rights.”

Eric Greitens also said he disapproved of Obama’s executive actions.

“Once again President Obama doesn’t get it,” he said in a statement. “He thinks that taking away your guns will stop criminals. He’s wrong. We know that you don’t stop criminals by taking away guns from law abiding citizens. The truth is just the opposite. Criminals are stopped by law abiding citizens with guns. We cannot, and I will not, allow our freedoms and constitutional rights to be swept away by this president. The time to fight back is now.”

Lt. Governor Peter Kinder called Obama’s acts a direct act against the Constitution.*

“President Barack Obama once again is subverting the constitutional separation of powers by trying to legislate by executive fiat,” he said. “He is undermining the Second Amendment of the Constitution and targeting law-abiding gun owners in an ineffective attempt to ‘do something’ about mass shootings. Obama wants to hire hundreds of new FBI and ATF agents and spend millions of dollars to create an expensive and intrusive new gun-control bureaucracy. None of his executive orders will prevent criminals from obtaining firearms illegally. What they do accomplish, however, is to impose a new set of burdensome regulations on law-abiding Americans in violation of the Constitution. The president’s frustration over Congress’ unwillingness to compromise the Second Amendment does not give him the authority to create laws from the Oval Office. I urge our U.S. Senators and House delegation to take action to stop Obama’s overreach. We don’t need more gun control. We need Obama control.”

Current governors Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, and Gov. Robert Bentley of Alabama in resistance.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted, “Come and take it.”

Alabama’s governor released a written statement.

“America’s founding fathers prioritized the right to keep and bear arms, and President Obama is overstepping his authority and threatening to take away our Second Amendment rights,” said Bentley. “It is unacceptable for the president to bypass Congress and the U.S. Constitution with his plan.

“(Obama’s executive actions are) another reason why it is critical for Americans to send a conservative back to the White House in November. I encourage the Alabama congressional delegation to listen to the message of the Alabama people and fight to protect the fundamental rights of gun owners.”

 

Townhall released the President’s executive actions on Monday.

*-Lt. Gov. Kinder spoke not as a candidate, but in his official capacity of Lt. Governor.