Burlison takes gun control bill to firing range

In the accompanying video, Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Springfield, continues to add to the intellectual level of Missouri's debate on gun violence by taking HB 545, sponsored by Rep. Rory Ellinger, D-University City, to a firing range and allow gun rights advocates to shoot holes in the bill, figuratively and literally. The summary of Ellinger's bill is printed below:

HB 545 -- Assault Weapons and Large Capacity Magazines Sponsor: Ellinger

This bill prohibits any person, corporation, or other entity in the state from manufacturing, importing, possessing, purchasing, selling, or transferring any assault weapon or large capacity magazine, as specified in the bill. Any violation of these provisions is a class C felony.

These provisions do not apply to a government officer, agent, or employee, member of the United States Armed Forces, or peace officer to the extent the person is otherwise authorized to acquire or possess an assault weapon or large capacity magazine and does so while acting within the scope of his or her duties; the manufacture of an assault weapon or large capacity ammunition feeding device by a properly licensed firearms manufacture for sale to any branch of the United States Armed Forces or any law enforcement agency in the state for its use; or the sale or transfer of an assault weapon or large capacity ammunition feeding device by a properly licensed dealer to any branch of the United States Armed Forces or a law enforcement agency in the state for its use in law enforcement.

The bill specifies that any person who was legally in possession of an assault weapon or large capacity magazine prior to the effective date of these provisions will have 90 days to remove the assault weapon or large capacity magazine from the state, render the assault weapon permanently inoperable, or surrender the assault weapon or large capacity magazine to the appropriate law enforcement agency for destruction.