New law will address violent crimes

I can’t remember a time when so much effort was invested in silencing Americans’ right to express themselves. In one town in California, arsonists targeted homes of those flying the American flag. On social media, conservative voices are being erased through intimidation, threats, and outright censorship. Certain books are being banned, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bible is next. TV news is mostly liberal, and if we passed a bill banning anchors from lying, probably 95% would be in jail. The intimidation being leveled at conservatives right now is horrible.

However, we still have a voice. I am grateful our local newspaper allows conservatives to express their views. We also still have (for now), access to the most precious medium – the ballot box. The mass media will try to get us not to vote by saying an election is over because the polls strongly favor one candidate. We can’t allow polls, the news media, or anything else to keep us from voting. We must stand up and always exercise our constitutional rights.

Legislation meant to address the issue of violent crime in Missouri is now set to become law. Gov. Parson signed the wide-ranging bill that contains provisions addressing dangerous felonies, unlawful possession of firearms, criminal street gangs, and vehicle hijacking.

In signing the bill, Parson said, “As Governor and a former law enforcement officer for 22 years, protecting the citizens of our state is of utmost importance to my administration. We all want our communities to be safe, and we worry when we see violent criminals threaten our neighborhoods. SB 600 holds violent offenders accountable for their actions and is a major step towards safety and justice for our communities. We must continue working together to identify solutions, address crime, and keep Missourians safe.”

The legislation increases the prison terms for the offense of armed criminal action. It also increases the minimum prison term for an individual convicted of armed criminal action if the individual unlawfully possesses a firearm. Additionally, the bill increases the penalty for unlawful possession of a firearm.

The bill also creates the offense of vehicle hijacking, which is committed when an individual knowingly uses or threatens the use of physical force upon another individual to seize or attempt to seize possession or control of a vehicle. It also creates the Missouri Criminal Street Gangs Prevention Act. The act modernizes the approach to prosecuting criminal gangs and reduces the barriers to bringing gang members to justice.

With the governor’s signature, the bill is now set to become law on Aug. 28.

Billington represents District 152, which includes parts of Butler and Dunklin counties.