The First Amendment is a big one when it comes to our rights.
It guarantees five of our most American values of freedom: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to assemble and the right to petition the government.
Without the First Amendment, other fundamental rights would wither away. That's why we work so hard to protect these rights in Missouri. Here are just a few ways that the First Amendment rights of Missourians have been a stake -- and what we've done to defend them:
We protected the rights of protestors in St. Louis. In a court win, a federal judge ordered the St. Louis metropolitan police department must immediately adopt protocols to protect the constitutional rights of those observing, recording or participating in protest activity.
We defended the rights of students to express themselves. We sent letters to several school districts across the state reminding educators that students' right to express themselves don't stop at the schoolhouse door.
We kept the sun shining in government. In another court win, a judge found the Cole County prosecuting attorney violated the Sunshine Law seven times, when he repeatedly denied requests for public records. The court ordered him to pay one of the largest Sunshine Law penalties Missouri has ever seen.
We defended the First Amendment rights of women in Springfield. A court permanently prohibited Springfield from enforcing a discriminatory and unconstitutional ordinance, where it was illegal for women to express their First Amendment right to show any portion of their breasts beneath the areola, but not men.
We'll remain on guard to ensure that First Amendment protections remain robust in Missouri, now and always.
Interested in learning how you can protect your rights? Request a "Know Your Rights" presentation at your school, place of worship or organization.