By Rep. Paul Anderson
Gun control issues will take center stage this week at the Capitol in St. Paul as the Public Safety Policy and Finance Committee is scheduled to hold three days of hearings on the subject. Committee chairman Michael Paymar of St. Paul will conduct the meetings.
Minnesota will also be in the national spotlight this week as President Obama comes to Minneapolis to visit with local law enforcement personnel on the same subject. There have long been attempts to tighten gun control laws, but for the most part they have been unsuccessful. However, in the aftermath of the tragic school shootings in Connecticut, there is a renewed push, especially at the federal level, to pass legislation in that area.
Two pieces of proposed legislation in Minnesota, H.F. 241 and H.F. 243, have drawn the most attention, with the majority of emails received so far being against them. One particular aspect of the bills contains language that would limit the number of rounds a pistol magazine could hold. That has especially drawn negative comments as it would make most pistols currently in use illegal. Many of the letter-writers also refer to the Second Amendment of the Constitution that guarantees our right to bear arms, and that this legislation, if passed, would infringe on that right.
We all want to do what’s best and try to prevent incidents such as the school shooting from happening again. But, will tougher gun control laws accomplish that goal? I don’t think so because the problem is so much deeper than simply outlawing certain firearms. Law-abiding citizens will follow these laws, but it’s hard to believe that criminals would, also. The shooter in Connecticut committed so many acts that are currently illegal, so banning the gun his mother already owned probably wouldn’t have made any difference.
We need to focus on strengthening our mental health system to give help sooner to those who need it. And I think more extensive background checks on firearm purchases is a way to help insure that guns don’t get into the hands of those who would use them for the wrong purpose.
The Super Bowl is now history for another year, and it will be remembered for its outstanding play but also for the 34-minute delay caused by an electrical malfunction. It’s not easy trying to fill that much expensive time as I’m sure there was a rush of activity behind the scenes to get power restored as quickly as possible. The commercials, as a whole, were not as good as in past years, with the exception of the Budweiser ad with the Clydesdale horse running down the street to meet his old master. And, as one involved in agriculture, I really enjoyed the Dodge truck commercial that featured Paul Harvey and his rendition of “God Made a Farmer.”
A full house was on hand last Thursday in Melrose to see the basketball game between two teams highly ranked in the state of Minnesota. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a gymnasium that full. What a performance fans witnessed from Dutchman Scottie Stone, who set a school record with 44 points as he scored from all over the court! For BBE, it was their first loss in nearly two years as the team’s 50-game regular season winning streak was snapped. The two teams, in different classes, both have good chances to qualify for next month’s state tournament.
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