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Advocates for stricter gun ownership laws returned to the Capitol Wednesday with renewed purpose, touting the passage of last year’s bill while calling for more action, citing recent incidents since then. Ta.
Sunday’s shooting deaths of three emergency workers in Burnsville is a top priority for families affected by gun violence, and the advocacy group Protect Minnesota has put forward a series of recommendations. These range from ensuring the necessary alerts to authorities when a gun goes missing to ways to encourage safe storage of firearms and ammunition.
The man who killed three emergency workers in Burnsville over the weekend was not legally allowed to possess a firearm. This incident exposed continuing flaws within the system.
While disagreements remain about the best path to preventing similar incidents, groups on opposing sides of the gun debate say they are ready to listen to the other side.
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This discussion could lead to additional storage and reporting requirements for firearm owners and additional resources for first responders and domestic violence victims.
Gun control advocates, families affected by gun violence, and DFL lawmakers are pushing for the passage of a bill that would require gun owners to report a lost or stolen firearm within 48 hours of learning of it. urged. Failure to do so could result in misdemeanor charges under this proposal. Repeated violations will result in harsher penalties.
A woman cradles her child next to a police car decorated with flowers and other offerings outside Burnsville City Hall.
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Rep. Kaoli Herr, DFL St. Paul, said the proposal would keep firearms out of the hands of people who cannot legally possess them, like the shooter in the Burnsville shooting. Ta.
“If you don’t actually ask people to report much, then you don’t have a mechanism to actually hold people accountable,” Herr said. “So I think it’s really important that this is the first step.”
“My son’s life could have been saved if he had reported the lost and stolen firearm to law enforcement,” Jones told reporters. “We have to start holding gun owners accountable for their negligence.”
Supporters of the new gun laws said they would also renew the requirement that firearms be kept under lock and key with ammunition stored separately. Lawmakers considered the bill last year, but it stalled in committee. Gov. Tim Walz reiterated his support for the measure Tuesday.
“As the state grieves and tries to find answers and as families grieve the tragedy in Burnsville, I think it’s our duty to look at that,” Walz said. “Was there anything I could have done to prevent this?”
First responders from local agencies saluted and mourned along Jordan’s procession route as the bodies of Burnsville Police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge were escorted to the funeral home.
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One bill that could garner bipartisan support would exempt firearm safety devices from sales tax.
Legislative leaders also say there should be additional funding for first responders to support mental health after fatal crashes. It also said it would review support services for victims of domestic violence.
Last year, Minnesota lawmakers passed legislation that would expand laws that require background checks for firearm purchases and transfers and create a system that would allow courts to seek emergency removal orders if a firearm poses a risk of harm to self or others. Expanded.
Even with these new laws planned, the DFL governor said this situation merits additional discussion about policy changes that could prevent similar incidents.
“This person appears to be prohibited from possessing a firearm,” Walz said. “Then we need to find out how they got them. Did someone help? Did they do that? Are there any penalties to prevent that from happening?”
Some Republican lawmakers and gun rights advocates said it’s too early to pass new laws when it’s not yet clear what happened in Burnsville. An investigation by the Criminal Enforcement Bureau is ongoing.
American flag balloons float in front of Burnsville City Hall.
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“With the information we have right now, it’s premature to lobby for policy proposals without understanding what the real issues are,” said Scott, vice president of government affairs for the Minnesota Caucus of Gun Owners. Rob Doerr said.
Doerr and Rep. Paul Novotny (R-Elk River) also said lawmakers should encourage enforcement of gun restrictions currently in the bill before considering new ones.
“If Democrats spend some of their time and energy enforcing the many existing gun laws, instead of proposing new enforcement, they stop anti-law enforcement rhetoric and hold criminals accountable for their actions. “Minnesota would be a safer place if we did that.”It’s putting a strain on law-abiding Minnesotans,” Novotny said.
Other Republicans were more open to new policy changes in the wake of the shootings.
Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington) said he would like to see harsher penalties for people who sell firearms to ineligible buyers. He proposed legislation that would ensure prison sentences for so-called straw buyers.
“It’s a very specific crime where you go and buy a weapon for someone who shouldn’t have one. And the result is that someone dies and someone gets killed,” Garofalo said. “These people need to be locked up, rightfully so. It’s a matter of public safety.”
Posters outside Burnsville City Hall honor Burnsville residents Paul Elmstrand, Matthew Ruge and Adam Finseth.
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She said she was open to considering Garofalo’s idea. Garofalo said he will consider all options that can prevent a repeat of what happened over the weekend not far from his community.
“Last weekend, three heroes were murdered because a madman had a gun,” Garofalo told MPR News. “As far as I know, everything is in place to stop that. We need to do a better job working together here on Capitol Hill to prevent this from happening. ”
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