‘Make Murder Legal Act’ defeated by Mo. committee vote

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) - The Missouri Senate bill dubbed the “make murder legal act” did not survive a committee vote.

The state’s Republican-controlled transportation and public safety committee voted down Senate Bill 666 on Thursday morning, February 10.

“We’re very, very pleased.”

Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver joined Dexter Police Chief Hank Trout in praising the Senate Committee vote that killed the measure Oliver calls the “Make Murder Legal Act.”

“For a long time, we’ve been seeing some pretty anti-law enforcement stuff coming out of Jefferson City,” he said. “And I’m proud to see our Senator Jason Bean standing up for common sense. For public safety. And protecting our communities.”

666 would have changed Missouri’s self-defense law by presuming all assaults, even murders, are acts of self-defense unless proven otherwise.

Both men joined a long list of current and retired law enforcement from southeast Missouri in sending this letter to Bean, who sits on that committee and joined three other senators in voting against it.

“I’d also like to thank Russ Oliver for his support in drafting the letter, with him and prosecutor Kacey Proctor. And getting that to Senator Bean. And we look for his continued support of law enforcement.”

But, the work to stop changes to Missouri’s self-defense law is not over. A hearing next week will take up the House version, HB 2118.

“Butler County Prosecutor Kacey Proctor will be going up and testifying about that at that committee hearing. And hopefully we have the same result.”

The two lawmakers behind this effort, State Senator Eric Burlison and State Representative Jered Taylor, are the same two who sponsored Missouri’s Second Amendment Preservation Act.

“It’s going to take a case where an officer has been sued. A police department has been sued. The police department has lost $50,000.00 for every officer that was involved in that drug raid. Or whatever the lawsuit comes out to be.”

But in the meantime, he’s counting Thursday’s vote as a victory.

“This is a good indication to me, with the “Make Murder Legal bill” being voted down, I think that it’s a good sign Jefferson City sees what they’re doing to law enforcement.”

Oliver said that House committee hearing on changes to Missouri’s self-defense law is set for February 15 at 1 p.m.

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