GOA and Missouri Seek Court Order to Halt Jackson County Gun Ban
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2025
Washington, D.C. — Gun Owners of America (GOA), Gun Owners Foundation (GOF), and the State of Missouri have filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to immediately block enforcement of Jackson County’s sweeping gun control ordinance targeting young adults.
This request for emergency relief follows the lawsuit filed last month in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, which challenges Jackson County Ordinance No. 5865. That ordinance prohibits law-abiding adults ages 18 to 20 from purchasing handguns or possessing so-called “semiautomatic assault rifles”—despite the fact that the ordinance does not even define what a “semiautomatic assault rifle” is.
The motion argues that the ordinance violates the Second and Fourteenth Amendments, as well as Missouri’s firearm preemption statute, which prohibits localities from enacting stricter gun laws than the state legislature. Plaintiffs are urging the court to step in immediately to prevent further constitutional harm while litigation proceeds.
Erich Pratt, Senior Vice President of Gun Owners of America, issued the following statement:
“This legal maneuver is about stopping the damage before it spreads. Jackson County politicians knew this ordinance was illegal when they passed it. Now they must be held accountable. GOA is proud to stand with Missouri to ensure that constitutional rights are protected for every law-abiding adult.”
Sam Paredes, on behalf of the board for Gun Owners Foundation, issued the following statement:
“This ordinance was passed in direct defiance of state law and the Constitution. Our motion makes clear that every day this ban remains in effect, it infringes on the rights of young Americans who are fully entitled to exercise their Second Amendment freedoms. We are urging the court to act quickly and restore the rule of law in Jackson County.”
GOA spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization representing over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.
–GOA–
