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Anti-Second Amendment bills
I mentioned in an email earlier this week that House committee hearings were taking place for two anti-Second Amendment bills.
The bills are?H.F. 601 ? Her, 48-hour deadline for reporting for lost and stolen firearms; and?H.F. 4300 ? Becker-Finn, regarding firearm storage. Both proposals seem to do more to criminalize good-faith, law-abiding gun owners than to crack down on the repeat criminals and other true bad actors our courts continue putting back on the street.
The Democrat majority moved both bills to the next step in the committee process, which keeps them viable for enactment this session.
Rep. Her?s bill puts the onus on the victim of a crime to file a report to law enforcement within the government?s definition of reasonable time ? 48 hours. If you are the victim of a firearm theft, and the perpetrator of that crime commits another crime with your stolen weapon, the bill stipulates that you may be held responsible.
Rep. Becker-Finn?s bill requires a person to either store a firearm not in the person?s direct control in a safe or unloaded with a locking device. On the same day the DFL introduced this bill that makes it a crime if a law-abiding firearm owner does not unload a firearm and secure it with a locking device in the person?s home, the DFL also introduced a bill (HF4277) that repeals mandatory minimum sentences for violent crimes involving the possession or use of a firearm.
These increased penalties come in a context where the actual perpetrators of such crimes are increasingly released back out onto the street under laws passed by Democrats in 2023 ? and bills they continue pushing today.
It is misguided to crack down on gun owners who honor our laws and act in good faith instead of going after the real criminals. I am a strong Second Amendment supporter and view these bills as diluting our constitutional rights. These latest two proposals are on top of new laws one-party control enacted last year regarding universal background checks and red flag confiscation orders. And there are more of these anti-Second Amendment bills just waiting in the wings at the Capitol.
We need a better approach. In fact, I am co-authoring legislation to increase penalties for so-called ?straw purchases? where someone who is eligible to purchase a firearm purchases one for someone whose criminal status prohibits them from doing so. This is the type of illegal arrangement appears to have played a role in the recent killings of two police officers and a firefighter medic in Burnsville. The bill we propose is part of the real solution for cracking down on gun runners without infringing on law-abiding citizens.
Burnsville memorial
I attended the memorial service for the three Burnsville heroes who recently were killed in the line of duty. Officer Matthew Ruge, Officer Paul Elmstrand, and Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth gave their lives to save others, and the service to honor them this week was quite moving. There reportedly were around 10,000 people in attendance, and it was very humbling for me to attend, invited into the personal lives of those close to the three heroes we lost so senselessly. God bless these three men, their families, and their co-workers.
On the radar
The House next week may vote on legislation to fix the school resource officer issue that has arose after new law enacted by Democrats caused SROs to be removed in a number of schools around our state last fall. Stay tuned.
Important links
Until next time, here are some links to help you follow developments in St. Paul this session:
Please Contact Me
It?s an honor and privilege to work for you at the Capitol. Don?t hesitate to contact my office at any time this session to share your thoughts, concerns or ideas. You can call me at 651-296-6316, or email me at [email protected]. I am here to serve you!
Bernie
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