JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – If Sen. Bob Dixon’s comprehensive crimes bill morphed into a Frankenstein’s monster, Sen. Jamilah Nasheed was selling torches and pitchforks to riot against it on the floor of the Senate Thursday night.
While SB 663 was praised for many of its provisions, Democrats and Nasheed in particular filibustered against a provision added on the House floor that would make Missouri a “stand your ground” state.
So far, the left’s efforts succeeded. Dixon withdrew the motion to approve a substitute just before another Democratic filibuster on paycheck protection began.
Nasheed argued that Florida’s stand your ground law allowed George Zimmerman, the man who shot black teenager Trayvon Martin, to walk free after committing murder. Martin’s death has continued to cause controversy and contention even years after Zimmerman was cleared of any wrongdoing. Nasheed also said that though the bill contained some language for which she advocated, especially a provision that would prohibit the shackling of pregnant women and juveniles, she would see the bill die well before backing down from the filibuster.
“We saw the chaos and the confusion that ‘stand your ground’ language caused in Florida,” she said. “In memory of Trayvon Martin, this bill is going to be a bill that I’ll probably have to throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
On the other side, Dixon advocated vehemently for the bill, even going toe-to-toe with Nasheed during her filibuster. He argued that ‘stand your ground’ had not been invoked in the Trayvon Martin case, and that she should support the bill for the provisions she liked. He specifically mentioned a modification to Missouri’s deadly force statute that he said would hold law enforcement more accountable.
“This bill before us tonight will change tonight and say law enforcement can only shoot a dangerous felon they believe is going to inflict serious physical harm to themselves or others,” he said. “Why would we not pass that bill?”
Nasheed had none of it.
The two argued until Dixon laid the bill over to allow debate on the divisive paycheck protection bill, which could possibly be the last bill debated during the session if a Democratic filibuster is successful.
