Posted on 02/05/2013 7:13:21 AM PST by marktwain
Three days of public hearings will be held before the Public Safety, Finance and Policy of the Minnesota House of Representatives, Feb. 5-7, when testimony will be heard on a range of possible legislation of concern to hunters, target shooters and firearms owners.
Chaired by Rep. Michael Paymar (DFL-St. Paul), the committee expects to hear a variety of viewpoints with an eye toward crafting a comprehensive bill that could include any of the following measures:
An outright ban on modern sporting rifles, mislabeled as "assault weapons" Magazine capacity restrictions Expanding mandatory background checks for the purchase of handguns and semi-automatic rifles to gun shows and private transfers Minimum penalties for individuals in possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime Tightening background checks to disqualify potential purchasers with severe mental health problems Allowing teachers and other school employees to carry loaded firearms in schools
It is vital that Minnesota lawmakers understand that those in our industry, as well as law-abiding firearms owners from throughout the state are paying close attention to the legislative process. We need to be heard. While we all abhor violence and want to stop future incidents, we must not allow recent tragedies inflicted on our society by the actions of deranged individuals to be used as the justification for passage of laws that will do nothing to prevent violence and criminal behavior, but that will surely affect law-abiding citizens.
Hearings will begin Tuesday, Feb. 5, starting at 10 a.m. in Room 5 of the State Office Building in St. Paul. For directions, click here. Evening sessions will be convened if necessary.
That hearing will be the live version of a citizen writing to his congressman and getting a form letter in return.
Time to proudly fly your Gadsden Flags, ( I have the black background too), and attend to take over your local RINO Cave-In Meetings.
I sent my opinion to all the committee members yesterday. The only reason I knew about these hearings this week was through an email I received from Dudley Brown’s organization. Otherwise, there hasn’t been any discussion in the news here, until Obama arrived in town yesterday for the Dem’s big “kick off” event. The Dem’s hold both the Senate and House, as well as the Governorship since the beginning of the year. It could be a very bumpy ride for the conservatives in this state.
If I could have gotten off work this week, I would have been at EVERY one of these.
As it is, I’ll be at the protest in St. Paul on Friday at 10AM.
Exactly as in post #2. They do not care what you think, they do not listen. If anyone cannot see that, they haven’t been paying attention to the goings-on in (most) state and (pretty much all) federal legislative sessions.
They let you think you have a voice to placate you...
I realize they call them “modern sporting rifles” here to emphasize how they’re no different, fundamentally, from gun which register in people’s minds as deer rifles. They merely appear scarier. However, who gives a crap if they’re “sporting” or not? And are they, really? Can’t they as easily be a weapon of defense or war?
What’s going on in Minnesota is a major putsch for the gun grabbers and I’m surprised that it hasn’t drawn more attention here on FR.
Minnesota’s left is poised to enact legislation that makes New York’s look tame by comparison, and the votes are there to pass that into law.
We’re going to be seeing more of this is months to come in the blue states: that is, a race to see who can enact the most restrictive ban.
I don’t really see any way for conservatives in those states to block what’s coming. It’s simply a “matter of numbers”, which they don’t have in the blue states.
It’s also interesting that at the same time, the red states are moving towards laws that _enhance_ the rights of gun owners.
The divide between the states is growing deeper....
This one will.
Gun owners should be able to overpower these hearings. Otherwise they will say they have a mandate. The only way to stop them is to let the rural Democrats know they will be diselected next election. Show up. Speak. Encourage others.
This can be beaten back, but not if you give up.
Those that show up make rule the rest.
Grow a spine and show up.
If by "the votes are there" you mean that there are Democrat majorities, yes. However, there's a big difference between the urban Democrat anti-gun orc and the outstate Democrat who lives and works with people who hunt and fish nearly as a matter of religion.
The fight isn't over by a long shot.
“make rule” should be rule.
This is how they win. They pretend that we are already beaten, then the majority gives up, and they win. Active gun owners outnumber the hoplophobes and power freaks 5 to 1. There are even quite a few Democrats who are with us.
Organize groups. Go and testify. Do not let them think they have no opposition. Fight. We are starting to win this, but we can lose it if people give up.
I showed up for the meeting this morning. The hearing was scheduled for 10:00. I got there about 9:00, and the line outside the room had run down the corridor, and then down the next corridor, and the next, and then down the front corridor, until had lapped with the door where the line started.
We packed the hearing room, and then overflow room. And then moved the chairs in the overflow room to make standing room, and then packed that full.
And still had a couple of hundred people standing around in the hallways.
I left after the morning hearing. But at 5:00, I was hearing that there were close to 1000 waiting in line for the 6:00 hearing.
I saw a total of six supporters of the bill, this morning. Reports for this evening are similar.
How much this will count, I don’t know. Obama is desperate to make some sort of progress on guns, and he knows he’ll get nothing out of Congress. There are a multitude of backroom deals and nefarious quid-pro-quos going on.
But there’s been a solid support for gun rights in this state, particularly among the out-state Democrats who make up the swing that gave them the majority. I’m not sure that the leadership will be able to buy enough of them off to swing the deal.
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