Missouri Republican Assembly Response to COVID-19

Jefferson City, MO: We call on Governor Parson, the General Assembly and all elected officials in Missouri to protect our constitutional rights.  It is time for our elected officials to hit the re-set button on its response to COVID-19.  Government was instituted to protect our inalienable rights and not to violate them; even for our “own good.” 

One of our most basic rights is the free exercise of religion.  Sadly, Governor Parson has seen fit to restrict religious worship services in violation of the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and Article 1, Section 5 of the Missouri Constitution.  The Governor restricted services to a maximum of 10 people, while allowing far more people to shop at grocery stores and Wal-Mart.  The city of Springfield has gone so far as to prohibit churches from holding drive-in services.  These restrictions strike at the very heart of our liberty and we call for an immediate revocation of these orders.

Moreover, we strongly oppose efforts by officeholders to decide what businesses are and are not essential.  Picking winners and losers by allowing some businesses to remain open, while forcing others to close, violates one's basic right to equal protection under the law and the right to provide for one's family.

Unfortunately, the long litany of abuses by Missouri  office holders is far too lengthy to discuss here, but it is important that we end all of the abuses immediately and therefore;

The Missouri Republican Assembly calls on Governor Parson to end the Stay-at-Home Order immediately; and

For the General Assembly to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot as soon as constitutionally possible to prevent state, county, local officeholders, and non-elected government agents from having the authority to restrict the free exercise of religion, quarantine healthy people, track the movement of citizens through technology, determine what products are essential for consumers to purchase, pick winners and losers by declaring some businesses to be essential and others to be non-essential and requiring vaccination or testing against the will of any citizen of this state and;

Finally, we call on all officeholders to continue to educate both the general public, as well as those who are at the most serious risk, or care for those at risk, on the complications and risks of COVID-19 and to encourage, but NOT mandate, self-quarantine if/when recommended, personal responsibility and Christian love for their neighbors.