Once upon a time, Missouri Republicans were proud to declare their independence from Washington, D.C., and anyone associated with it.

During Barack Obama’s administration, they authorized specialty “Don’t Tread on Me” license plates, decorated with the Gadsden Flag. A lot of red states have those now, but Missouri was a trendsetter.

Lawmakers were also fond of floating bills with “freedom” in the name. There was, for instance, a “light bulb freedom act,” a protest against federal energy regulations.

More recently, Republicans rammed through the Second Amendment Preservation Act, which tries to make it illegal to enforce federal gun laws in Missouri. It is unwise legislation that immediately ran into legal challenges, but it did reflect Republicans’ vaunted defiance.

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