Dear Neighbor,
House Democrats need to explain why limiting our Second Amendment rights is a higher priority for them than enacting a state budget or expanding our economy.
They have drafted a long list of bills which would infringe on our Second Amendment. There will be five House committee hearings to discuss proposed gun restrictions this week alone. Meantime, important things like repaying K-12 debt still lingering from the last time Democrats had the majority sit on the back burner.
The good news is Minnesotans are wide awake to the excessive gun restrictions Democrats are trying to push into law. My email has been flooded by people asking me to stand up against unnecessary, misguided gun laws. People I talk with understand the potential impacts these proposed laws could bring now, and into the future by opening the door to interpretation and additional action.
The fact is, bills sponsored by Democrats in Minnesota are even more restricting than what the President wants to pass. State legislation includes a ban on someone’s interpretation of assault weapons, background checks for all pistol and assault weapon purchases, mental health screening for firearm permits and more. This would do nothing to keep certain firearms out of the hands of wrong-doers. Criminals are criminals. These new laws would disarm the good, law-abiding citizens.
The public is invited to participate in this week’s committee hearings and there was a huge turnout for the first one. I encourage local citizens to show up and provide their opinions at the next meetings this evening, Wednesday and/or Thursday.
One interesting thing about the outpouring of support for our Second Amendment rights is that it is coming from the grass roots. Some people may be under the false impression the National Rifle Association is a driving force at the Capitol, but that is not the case in our state. It is the people themselves who are adamant about speaking up to defend our rights.
Here is a very telling point from a Star Tribune article: Between 2008 and 2012, the NRA spent just $5,240 on Minnesota legislative races. In 2012, the liberal group Alliance for a Better Minnesota spent $144,365 to defeat a single legislative candidate in Edina. Click here for the full story.
Below is the information regarding legislative committee hearings in case people want to participate. Public testimony is allowed, but it must be regarding a specific bill. People are asked to arrive early for the meetings so they can sign in. Written testimony also will be accepted.
TUESDAY, February 5, 2013
6:00 PM
Meeting Time: 6 p.m.
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Michael Paymar
Agenda: Bills related to Gun Violence Prevention Act.
HF237 (Paymar) Pistols and semiautomatic military-style assault weapon transfer and firearm possession eligibility provisions modified, and criminal penalties provided.
HF240 (Schoen) Mental health screening improved for persons applying for firearm permits.
HF184 (Winkler) Centralized register of individuals who voluntarily wish to be ineligible to purchase firearms for a self-determined period of time maintenance and creation required; acceptance of voluntary surrender of firearms and ammunition from persons on the voluntary register and establishment of procedures for return of the firearms and ammunition upon request by chiefs of police and sheriffs mandated.
HF244 (Johnson) Firearm loss or theft false report crime established, crime of transferring firearms to an ineligible person expanded, and a person convicted of these crimes made ineligible to possess a firearm.
HF238 (Davnie) Offenders who unlawfully possess firearms on school properties equal penalties established.
HF239 (Davnie) Persons who possess guns on private property after being ordered to leave the premises equal penalties established.
WEDNESDAY, February 6, 2013
10:00 AM
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Michael Paymar
Agenda: Other specific bills TBA.
Public testimony welcome. All testimony must be regarding a specific bill.
To testify, please come to the committee room a few minutes early to sign-in.
Due to time constraints, written testimony regarding specific bills will be accepted at the hearing.
HF241 (Hausman) Assault weapons; crime established for manufacturing, transferring, or possessing assault weapons; existing assault weapon disposal or registration provided for; terms defined; data classified; language clarified; and penalties provided.
HF242 (Hausman) Large-capacity magazine crime established for the manufacture, transfer, or possession of ammunition feeding devices with the capacity to accept more than ten rounds or any conversion kit, part, or combination of parts; terms defined; and criminal penalties provided.
THURSDAY, February 7, 2013
10:00 AM and 6 PM
Meeting Time Note: Committee will recess at noon and reconvene at 6 p.m.
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Michael Paymar
Agenda: Specific bills TBA.
We still have time to let House Democrats where we stand on this issue, but it is necessary for citizens to remain vocal. I continue to welcome your input, but it also would be helpful voice displeasure with the people who are authoring these restrictive bills. A good start would be emailing rep.michael.paymar@house.mn and rep.alice.hausman@house.mn.
Sincerely,
Tom Hackbarth
State Representative
309 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr