Governor Mike Parson (r) [2018 file photo].

On March 30th:

GOVERNOR PARSON ANNOUNCES END TO COVID-19 CRISIS IN MISSOURI
Press Release
MARCH 30, 2022

JEFFERSON CITY – Today, during a press conference at the State Capitol, Governor Mike Parson announced an end to the COVID-19 crisis in Missouri and that the state will be shifting to an endemic phase of the pandemic on Friday, April 1, 2022.

A whole-of-government COVID-19 emergency response was taken for more than two years, an effort that responded to the needs of all Missourians during the global pandemic and sustained state operations as more was learned about the novel virus. Vaccines, testing resources, and treatments are now readily available for all Missourians, and much of the population now has some immunity to the virus. [….]

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, is expected to continue to circulate in communities, meaning it will be considered endemic like many other diseases. The endemicity also means that surveillance priority will change from monitoring case numbers to monitoring disease severity and societal impact as new waves of infection come and go. This transition does not minimize the continued importance of public health surveillance, investigation, and response activities, as is necessary to mitigate any disease.

[….]

“…Vaccines, testing resources, and treatments are now readily available for all Missourians, and much of the population now has some immunity to the virus…”

That’s not particularly reassuring.

“…it will be considered endemic…”

It will be? If it isn’t yet, then why state it? By the way, we’re pretty sure the Governor of Missouri doesn’t get to make that determination.

[CDC – national data]
Interpretive Summary for April 15, 2022
[…]
Reported Cases
As of April 13, 2022, the current 7-day moving average of daily new cases (31,391) increased 19.1% compared with the previous 7-day moving average (26,357)…
[….]
New Hospital Admissions
The current 7-day daily average for April 6–April 12, 2022, was 1,446. This is a 1.3% increase from the prior 7-day average (1,427) from March 29–April 4, 2022…
[….]
Testing
The percentage of COVID-19 NAATs (nucleic acid amplification tests)* that are positive (percent positivity) is increasing in comparison to the previous week. The 7-day average of percent positivity from NAATs is now 4.1%.
[….]

Definitely not reassuring.

And then yesterday, there’s this priority:

GOVERNOR PARSON JOINS 25 GOVERNORS IN FORMING AMERICAN GOVERNORS’ BORDER STRIKE FORCE
Press Release
APRIL 19, 2022

JEFFERSON CITY – Today, Governor Mike Parson joined 25 other Governors in signing a memorandum of understanding establishing the American Governors’ Border Strike Force. The strike force will help increase collaboration and improve intelligence sharing and analyses across participating states to disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations and cartels, combat human smuggling, and stop the flow of illegal drugs to states.

“The Biden Administration has failed to secure our nation’s Southern Border, allowing millions of migrants and hundreds of thousands of pounds of illegal drugs to pour into the United States,” Governor Parson said. “Time and time again, Governors have tried to work with the White House to discuss real solutions to secure the border. Instead, our concerns have been ignored, crime is out of control, and illegal drugs continue to infect our communities and harm our kids. Today, Governors are stepping up once again to do what the federal government refuses to do: secure our communities and protect our citizens.”

The American Governors’ Border Strike Force will coordinate participating states’ efforts to partner at the state fusion center level and amongst state law enforcement around the following actions:

Share criminal justice information to improve investigations in the border region and nationwide, especially in communities adjacent to or crossing state boundaries.
Coordinate and improve interdiction on interstates to combat drug trafficking and human smuggling.
Co-locate intelligence analysts in border states to improve collaboration, real time response, intelligence sharing, and analysis connected to border security.
Assist border states with supplemental staff and resources at state fusion centers, such as on rotation assignments and to share information obtained both on the border and/or in other states.
Send law enforcement to train in border states to detect, track, and curb border-related crime.
Target cartel finances that fund criminal activity in the border regions to seize the tools used to assist the cartels.
Monitor cybersecurity issues that may increase vulnerability along the Southern Border, such as criminal networks that operate on social media to recruit traffickers.
Review state criminal statutes regarding human trafficking, drug trafficking, and transnational criminal organizations to ensure the laws deter, disrupt, and dismantle criminal activity.
Review state criminal justice statistics and information to determine crimes that can be traced to the Southern Border.
Develop interstate procedures to fill any identified gaps or identified inconsistencies in existing plans to address border crime.
This action by Governors comes as more than 221,000 migrants were encountered at the Southern Border in March 2022 – the highest number in 22 years. Additionally, next month, the Biden Administration is preparing to revoke Title 42, which is expected to lead to 18,000 or more migrant encounters per day at the border.

Under the Biden Administration, more than 2.3 million migrants have been encountered at the Southern Border. In the past six months, reports indicate that there have been 300,000 known “gotaways” – migrants who were not apprehended by border agents and did not turn themselves in – at the Southern Border.

“The crisis at our Southern Border is out of control. In the absence of federal leadership, we will do what is required to help solve this growing problem and protect the people of Missouri,” Governor Parson said.

The Director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety will be Missouri’s designee on the American Governors’ Border Strike Force. The agreement does not obligate states to expend funds.
[….]

“…allowing millions of migrants and hundreds of thousands of pounds of illegal drugs to pour into the United States…”

This just started now?

“…more than 2.3 million migrants have been encountered at the Southern Border…”

Uh, that’s a cute turn of phrase. “Encountered”? What does that mean, specifically?

“…reports indicate…”

What specific reports? Cite source(s).

“…The agreement does not obligate states to expend funds…”

So, it’s a publicity stunt.

All this for Arkansas?

What happens if guns get smuggled across the border?

Department of Justice
Office of Public Affairs
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Justice Department Files Suit to Prevent Missouri from Restricting Enforcement of Federal Firearms Laws

Missouri House Bill 85 Makes Enforcement of Federal Firearms Laws More Difficult, Thereby Impeding Law Enforcement Efforts to Combat Violent Crime
The Department of Justice has today filed a lawsuit to prevent the State of Missouri from enforcing House Bill 85 (H.B. 85). Signed into law in June 2021, the Missouri law declares five categories of federal firearms laws “invalid” and deters and penalizes their enforcement by federal, state and local law enforcement officers. The government’s complaint seeks declaratory and injunctive relief prohibiting enforcement of H.B. 85 and further clarifying that state and local officials may lawfully participate in joint federal task forces, assist in the investigation and enforcement of federal firearm crimes, and fully share information with the federal government without fear of H.B. 85’s penalties. Specifically, the complaint alleges that H.B. 85 is invalid under the Supremacy Clause, is preempted by federal law, and violates the doctrine of intergovernmental immunity.

“This act impedes criminal law enforcement operations in Missouri,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The United States will work to ensure that our state and local law enforcement partners are not penalized for doing their jobs to keep our communities safe.”

“A state cannot simply declare federal laws invalid,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This act makes enforcement of federal firearms laws difficult and strains the important law enforcement partnerships that help keep violent criminals off the street.”

The complaint alleges that the restrictions imposed by H.B. 85 have hindered cooperation and other activities that assist federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts. Federal law enforcement agencies within the state report that enforcement of federal firearms laws in Missouri has grown more difficult since H.B. 85 became effective. The penalties associated with H.B. 85 have prompted state and local agencies and individuals within those entities to withdraw support for federal law enforcement efforts, including by not sharing critical data used to solve violent crimes and withdrawing from joint federal task forces. The complaint challenges the constitutionality of the law and seeks to enforce the supremacy of federal law. Dozens of state and local officers have resigned from federal joint-task forces in the state as a result of the law. According to Missouri’s own statistics, nearly 80% of violent crimes are committed with firearms.

According to the complaint, Missouri enacted H.B. 85 despite its conflict with the fundamental constitutional principles of supremacy of federal law, preemption, and intergovernmental immunity. The restrictions imposed by the statute are premised on a declaration that several categories of federal statutes are “invalid,” but a state may not lawfully declare federal law invalid under the Constitution. In addition to penalizing individuals for working on joint federal-state law enforcement task forces, the statute penalizes current federal employees by barring them from state employment if they enforced the purportedly invalid laws. The statute further directs the state judiciary to “protect” against the federal laws declared invalid.

[….]

“…the restrictions imposed by H.B. 85 have hindered cooperation and other activities that assist federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts…”

Missouri.