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ST. Paul, Minnesota — Gun safety advocates are asking state lawmakers to pass two bills this year that would introduce new rules for gun owners on how to secure their guns and what to do if they are lost.
Protect Minnesota, a local group working to end gun violence, held a press conference Wednesday to outline the bill, which includes safe storage laws and mandatory reporting of lost or stolen guns. With the focus on expanding background checks and enforcing “red flag” laws, two proposals were introduced last year, and both passed through the DFL-controlled Capitol Hill after years of effort.
“All of these things will make our communities safer. But even though nearly 600 people have lost their lives to gun violence here in our state, we still don’t have enough to curb this epidemic.” We know we’re not working hard,” said Executive Director Maggie Emery. Protect Minnesota.
The first proposal would require all guns to be locked up and unloaded separately from ammunition when not being carried or used by a person authorized to carry them. Another bill would require gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm to law enforcement within 48 hours of becoming aware of it.
Rep. Kaoli Van Herr, DFL-St. He said he believes it will curb the legal purchase of guns for people who are prohibited from owning them.
Federally licensed firearms dealers are required to report lost or stolen inventory within 48 hours, but according to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, 95 of the stolen firearms % was due to personal theft.
The agency said more than 1 million guns were stolen nationwide from 2017 to 2021, although it acknowledged “significant underreporting.”
“Without reporting laws, straw purchasers could easily claim that the gun they purchased and gave to a prohibited person was lost or was stolen unreported,” Herr said.
The renewed effort to pass these bills comes in the wake of Sunday’s devastating shooting in Burnsville, where three emergency workers were killed while responding to a 911 call about sexual assault. The man who shot them had “multiple weapons” warrant showbut he was prohibited from owning a firearm due to his past criminal history.
Asked if Sunday’s tragedy would spur action, DFL lawmakers said gun safety has been a long-standing policy driver.
“This is not a Republican or Democratic issue,” Herr said. “We all know that gun violence is on the rise, and we all want to take smart gun violence prevention measures. So all these additional incidents, this is something we’ve all had for a long time. It just reinforces the fact that it’s a problem that we’ve been working very hard to address. ”
Rob Doerr, executive vice president of the Minnesota Gun Owners Association, said reporting stolen guns is common practice among legal gun owners, and the organization has serious concerns about the policy. However, he said he doubted whether there was a law requiring reporting. It will achieve the desired result.
“Telling responsible gun owners that they have to do what they’re already doing is not going to stop people who are worried about access to guns from getting guns,” he told reporters. The situation remains unchanged.”
But he is concerned about safe storage. He said the policy makes it meaningless to have a gun in the home for self-defense and violates precedent set by the U.S. Supreme Court.
“What we don’t want to see is people concentrating firearms on people who would be dangerous if they used them,” Doerr said. “Increasing certainty of enforcement is important because we know that if people can be confident that they will be prosecuted and that their punishment will be carried out, this is the most powerful way to achieve compliance with the law. That would be the best thing we can do for public safety. ”
Under current law, it is a gross misdemeanor to purchase or transfer a firearm to a person who is prohibited from owning a firearm. Door said it should be a felony. Last year, some Republican lawmakers introduced a bill to increase the fines, but it did not move forward.
Monica Jones implored Congress on Wednesday to pass both proposals. With tears in her eyes, she described how her son, Dakwan, died at the age of 17. While hanging out in her basement, her friend accidentally shot her son with a stolen gun.
“We have to start holding gun owners accountable for their negligence,” she said. “If that gun had been safely stored, my son would still be alive today.
Rep. Cedric Frazier, DFL-New Hope, also introduced a bill that would make Medicaid reimburse the cost of violence prevention services. Nationally, two-thirds of shooting victims receive Medicaid or are uninsured. Other states have passed similar measures.
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