Gun rights protected, criminals prosecuted An alternative to a gun control bill

Today, DFL Representative Debra Hilstrom and a bipartisan coalition of legislators and sheriffs introduced a new bill which will address the very real issue of keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and the dangerously mentally ill, without infringing on the rights of law abiding Minnesota gun owners. Republican Rep. Tony Cornish, the House’s leader on gun rights, joined Hilstrom at the press conference to speak in favor of the bill. Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek, Carver County Sheriff Jim Olson,

Press conference YouTube video View the press conference on YouTube

The bill’s co-authors comprise more than half of the representatives, both Democrats and Republicans, in the Minnesota House. There were so many authors that Rep. Hilstrom had to introduce three identical bills to fit the names of all the co-authors!

HF1323 focuses on forcing government departments to quickly and accurately report criminal convictions and mental health and chemical abuse commitment data to the state and federal background check systems.

The bill also add a lifetime prohibition on firearm ownership for perpetrators of certain violent domestic felonies, and makes it easier for counties to prosecute the straw purchasers that the federal government won’t.

GOCRA is proud to have worked with Rep. Hilstrom, Rep. Cornish and the NRA to craft real solutions to real problems.

The bill has been referred to Rep. Michael Paymar’s Public Safety committee. Unfortunately, Rep. Paymar has suggested that he won’t give the bill a hearing, preferring instead his own bill, HF237, which includes many infringements of your rights, including universal registration disguised as background checks.

Please call and email Rep. Paymar, and insist that HF1323 be heard without delay.

Representative Michael Paymar (DFL) – Chairman 651-296-4199 E-mail: rep.michael.paymar@house.mn

The bill will also need a Senate companion bill. Please call YOUR senator and ask him/her to sign on as an author of this important legislation.

We’ll have more later, including a breakdown of every element of the new bill.

Please forward this email to gun owners and civil rights supporters, and ask them to sign up at http://www.gocra.org/join.html