It was a pleasure meeting with the Elk River School Board Legislative Action Team at the State Office Building in St. Paul.
Dear Neighbor,
Much of the focus in the House this week has been the various finance committees wrapping up their work by compiling the omnibus bills that will shape our state's next two-year budget. I am a member of the Transportation Committee and Public Safety Committee, and we voted our omnibus bills out of committee early in the week. Omnibus bills for higher education, K-12 education, agriculture, and several additional areas of state budget have also been voted out of their respective committees. The next step for each omnibus bill is to be brought to the floor of the full House for a vote.
Discussing H.F. 830 on the House floor.
PROTECTING OUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS
Thursday of this week was gun bill day in the House. My pro-Second Amendment bill (H.F. 830) was one of the four gun bills heard. This was the first bill of which I am chief author to be heard on the House floor, and the bill passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 110 to 19! I am very proud my first bill to be heard and voted upon by the full House was related to protecting one of our core liberties given us by our Creator, the right to self defense.
The Minnesota Legislature passed a law in 1969 affirming Minnesota residents purchasing long guns (rifles and shotguns) was permitted in Minnesota and in contiguous states. In 1986, the Federal Firearms Owners Protection Act rescinded the federal law which limited purchases of long guns to contiguous states only. Rescinding the previous federal law resulted in purchases of long guns being allowed in any state – as long as the purchase is permitted in both states – but the language of current Minnesota statute lacks clarity in that regard.
Current state law is poorly written, resulting in the potential for law-abiding Minnesotans to unjustly be denied their right to purchase long guns while in another state. Our Second Amendment rights must be protected and my bill makes it abundantly clear MN law permits law-abiding Minnesotans to purchase long guns in any state.
The language of my bill was also included as a provision in the House Public Safety Committee's omnibus bill.
The other three pro-gun bills which overwhelming passed the House Thursday were related to legalizing sound suppressors, easing permit to carry and Capital notification, and prohibiting government from violating our due-process rights by confiscating our guns simply because a disaster has been declared.
LEGISLATIVE SURVEY ONLINE
I sent out a legislative survey to thousands of residents all over our district approximately two weeks back in which I am seeking your feedback. Thank you to all the people who have returned the survey I am conducting of top legislative issues. There still is time to submit an online version by clicking
here. The survey only takes a few minutes to complete, and I greatly value your input so I can do my best to be your voice and represent your priorities.
Long days next week as we are expecting to begin hearing omnibus bills by the full House. As always, please contact me with your feedback on any issue or if there is anything I may be able to assist you with.
Sincerely,
Eric Lucero
State Rep. District 30B