All,

Extreme anti-Second Amendment legislation has been introduced in Minnesota.  These bills follow the New York model by proposing to make it illegal to possess magazines that hold more than 7 bullets, defining "assault weapons" so broadly that very few semi-automatic weapons would be excluded; making it illegal to possess an "assault weapon" that was not possessed as of February 1, 2013; requiring registration of "assault weapons"; and making it illegal to posses standard capacity magazines possessed before the ban.

At first glance, the 7-round limit doesn't distinguish between internal or detachable magazines, so even M1 Garands would become "assault weapons."  And there's more. Registering an "assault weapon" would require a background check, would need to be redone annually, would automatically give permission for LE to inspect your home for safe storage, fees would be charged for registration (and there's no limit).  You would be unable to buy more or even transfer them to your children.  Instead, on death the weapons would need to be rendered inoperable or turned over to law enforcement.

That is just a short and incomplete list of all that is wrong with these bills. . I'm posting via a mobile device, so I will get into a detailed analysis later.

It is time to mobilize everyone to oppose these horrible bills. I haven't had a chance to review them all yet, but some of the bills related to firearms introduced so far this year are:

House Files: 244, 243, 242, 241, 240, 239, 238, 237, 184.  

Senate Files: 205, 109, 83, 69, 64, 46.

It's no coincidence that the worst of these were introduced just days before the hearings next week.  These are some of the most preposterous regulations I've ever heard of.  

If anyone knows people at the NRA, Second Amendment Foundation, GOCRA, MRRA, or GOA, please call them immediately.  Their silence would be inexcusable.

Get everyone you know involved in this.

Update: Additional bills introduced 2/4/13

HF 307: 1/2 of the end of "shall issue": Adds the chief of police to authorities that can grant permits to carry, and requires you to go to your chief of police if you have one, instead of to the sheriff.  Working with HF 294, this will end the "shall issue" permit system in Minnesota.  The sole author is Rep. Simonson out of Duluth.

HF294: The other 1/2 of the end of "shall issue":  On the face of it, this bill would make it more difficult for felons to have their right to own firearms restored.  But is also lowers the bar for denying a permit to carry.  Currently, a permit must be granted if the applicant is qualified, unless there is a substantial likelihood that the applicant is a danger to self or the public.  This bill removes the word "substantial," thereby lowering the showing that has to be made for an issuing authority to deny a permit.  If you appeal the denial, the burden of proof on the denying authority would be lowered from "clear and convincing" to "preponderance of the evidence."  In lawyer-speak, that is a HUGE change.  Also, incidents of alleged criminal misconduct that have never even been investigated or documented can be used against you in the appeal hearing.  The end result is a system where you could be denied a permit to carry because the issuing authority says "well, we heard...but we didn't document or investigate" or "well, we think...but we didn't document or investigate."  When combined with HF307, this is the end of the carry permit for many Minnesotans.

HF 298: End state preemption:  This would end state preemption of local gun restrictions.  We would then have a patchwork of different laws from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, making it impossible to know all the laws and travel legally through the state with a firearm.

HF 285:  This is small, but significant.  It adds a definition for "ammunition" in the section of statutes that deal with firearms definitions.  It goes on to make so that if you cannot possess a firearm, you also can't possess ammo.  The real kicker here is more subtle; it alters the list of those that can't possess firearms or ammunition.  Under current law, you cannot be denied the right to own a firearm for mental health reasons until you have been committed in Minnesota or another state.  If this passes, you lose the right if you are ordered, regardless of whether the order is stayed.  In other words, a court could commit someone, realize that a mistake was made, and stay the order, but it would be too late; the subject of the order couldn't own a gun or firearms until they had petitioned to have rights restored.  All in all, this is probably the least concerning of the bills that has been introduced.

These representatives are trying to roll back every right we have.  No more permits to carry.  De facto bans on most semi-automatic guns through either the ban or the ultra-low magazine limits that make it impossible to use your gun.  PLEASE STAY INVOLVED!

In before those that tell us not to panic and it could never happen here.

ETA: Looked up 244,  242 and 241

HF244
Large-capacity magazine crime established for the manufacture, transfer, or possession of ammunition feeding devices with the capacity to accept more than seven rounds or any conversion kit, part, or combination of parts; terms defined; and criminal penalties provided.
Authors
Hausman; Paymar; Johnson, S.; Simonson

H. F. No. 242
2013 - 2014 Regular Session
Short Description: Large-capacity magazine crime established for the manufacture, transfer, or possession of ammunition feeding devices with the capacity to accept more than ten rounds or any conversion kit, part, or combination of parts; terms defined; and criminal penalties provided.


HF241
Description
Assault weapons; crime established for manufacturing, transferring, or possessing assault weapons; existing assault weapon disposal or registration provided for; terms defined; data classified; language clarified; and penalties provided.

Snippet from HF 237

Subd. 7a. Transfer by or to licensed dealers only. No person shall transfer a pistol
8.28or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon unless the transferor or the transferee
8.29is a federally licensed firearms dealer. Where neither party to a prospective pistol or
8.30semiautomatic military-style assault weapon transfer is a federally licensed firearms
8.31dealer, the parties shall complete the transfer through a federally licensed firearms dealer
8.32as follows:
9.1(1) the transferor shall deliver the pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault
9.2weapon and a valid transferee permit or report of transfer to a federally licensed firearms
9.3dealer, who shall retain possession of that pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault
9.4weapon until the transaction is completed or as provided in clause (3);

I understand your frustration, but dissention among ourselves is not helpful.  Everyone should be involved; the anti-Second Amendment crowd is giving this their full effort.

We must as well.

I couldn't agree more.

How are we going to stop a Dem majority from passing this?

Not all Dems are anti-gun.  Write your representatives and senators.  Tell them making the vast majority of lawful gun owners into felons is not an option.

Keep writing the reps and senators.  Both dems and repubs.  If they don't get out of committee they can not get passed.

THIS
I received a response, not an auto response, from one of the reps on the comittee and I was told that we need to get people in the committee members districts to start writing letters as those of us outside their districts are not going to hold ANY sway. So check the committee roster and see if your rep is on the comitee.... If they are not still send them a letter.  

Regardless, I still have written letters to all the republicans and most of the dems on the comittee.

Interesting strategy, introduce both a 10 rd ban and a 7rd ban.  "Compromise"

I'm glad someone else picked up on that. All of these bills must be opposed!

And again, where are the advocacy groups?  How are hunters going to learn that there's a real chance that their hunting rifles and shotguns could be banned?

My frustration level is mounting.

Edit: Double Tap.

My phone is the stone tablet of the smartphone world.

These bills introduced while Obama is in town!!!

Hits away to my local rep...

None of this should surprise anyone.  The Dems/Libs have been chomping at the bit to do exactly this!!  And now they have an opening and momentum to get "something" passed.  Oh yes...  "something" will be passed but how "bad" and how far reaching is what's left to be decided.

As lawful gun owners... OUR RIGHTS ARE UNDER ATTACK!!

Now, more than ever, is the time to make your voices heard!  Re-double your efforts!

From H.F. 237:



Which is followed up by:

Hit all the committee members too.  That's where the focus should be right now.

WTF?!!!!!   I am beyond pissed right now.

Get intimate with your legislators.  

Be polite but firm.  

If you can get all involved on the same page with regards to rallys and marches.  

There's a bunch of good guys on this site; reach out and get in touch with them.  Lots of threads in the NYHTF.

Good luck fellas; I hope they don't pass in the dark of night laws in your state.

********************


242 and 243 are going to this committee:

Link will list their meeting dates, personnel involved, etc. Note: public testimony welcome


Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee

Keep the pressure on guys. Good luck to you.

OK friends. Time to fire up the phone lines, call everyone you know and get them to write, email and call their representatives and senators.

We can lose BIG this time.

These bills outlaw the transfer of the only rifles I own and outlaw every magazine I own.

Obama will be in town next week to lend his weight to pushing this through.

Blood is squirting out of my eyeballs right now. I don't think those f@#ktards in the legislature know or care that they are playing with fire.

Email and Call!

House Public Safety Committee:
Representative Michael Paymar (DFL) – Chairman
651-296-4199
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Paul Rosenthal (DFL) – Vice Chairman
651-296-7803
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Tony Cornish (R) – Republican Lead
651-296-4240
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Debra Hilstrom (DFL)
651-296-3709
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Brian Johnson (R)
651-296-4346
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Tim Kelly (R)
651-296-8635
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Andrea Kieffer (R)
651-296-1147
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative John Lesch (DFL)
651-296-4224
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Kathy Lohmer (R)
651-296-4244
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Joe Mullery (DFL)
651-296-4262
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Jim Newberger (R)
651-296-2451
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Shannon Savick (DFL)
651-296-8216
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Dan Schoen (DFL)
651-296-4342
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Steve Simon (DFL)
651-296-9889
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Erik Simonson (DFL)
651-296-4246
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Linda Slocum (DFL)
651-296-7158
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative Mark Uglem (R)
651-296-5513
E-mail: [email protected]

Representative John Ward (DFL)
651-296-4333
E-mail: [email protected]

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Copy and pastable.

Here is what I just sent (feel free to use it, feel free to modify it for your purposes).

Looks like I have a project for tomorrow!

With all respect, that's "Greater Minnesota" and not "Out State."  (I kid.)

And exclude Erik Simonson of Duluth from that list; he's the author of the "assault weapons" ban and the 7-round magazine limit.

Ok. Done! Couldn't wait untill tomorrow

Messages sent to committee and my senator/representative urging them to push their colleagues to defeat these bills

Im in, already posting it on facebook to like minded individuals and emailing my congress critters

I just finished off my last book of stamps.  A small price to pay...  I figure it's an investment in our rights as Minnesotans!  As AMERICANS!!!

And again, I'm sure I'll get another nasty look from my "letter lady" tomorrow morning.    With mailings like these my mail box is PACKED FULL!!  

I'm off to Target for more printer cartridges!!

trying to look up some of these bills...SF109 seems to be a bill to allow some people to use laser sights for hunting

Have left voice messages with all committee members and will call/ email everyone tomorrow again. Lets beat this thing!

Just sent my State Senator, Bruce Anderson ANOTHER email.

Done. In addition to my self-generated email at the top of page 2.

These bills may not all be bad. I tried to call out what looked like the worst ones and just listed the others that have been introduced.

Shockingly (or perhaps not), not a single news outlet that I can find is reporting on the more outrageous bills.  They are all focusing on things like scopes for muzzle loaders, probably because that isn't a problem for us. Perhaps this is an effort to keep attendance down at the hearings next week.  

just want to make sure people dont just write opposeing EVERY gun bill
Emails sent to my reps

Thanks for all of the info guys.  Emailed all of them and am trying to spread word on the facebook.  This is some bs if it goes through.

Just sent a similar version to this but added: We are your constituents, we are watching and we will not comply with unconstitutional laws or edicts.

Sent an email. Ugh, I knew it was time to move to WI till I finish college

Their FB page seems pretty active and they have plans for the hearing
I suggest liking the FB page.
http://www.mnccrn.org/

response from Jim Newberger about 20 minutes after I sent the Email just a bit ago

Good to hear!

I'm not on Facebook. It looks like I need to get an account.

I resisted for quite some time but finally realized that it is becoming necessary as some groups are using it to communicate very effectively.

We need a big turn out for this meeting. I can make it.


Tuesday, February 5, 2013
6:00 PM
Room: 10 State Office Building
Chair: Rep. Michael Paymar

Agenda: Bills related to Gun Violence Prevention Act. Specific bills TBA.
Public testimony welcome. All testimony must be regarding a specific bill.
To testify, please come to the committee room a few minutes early to sign-in.
Due to time constraints, written testimony regarding specific bills will be accepted at the hearing.

We need to hit Cornish hard, he's a Fudd who while enjoys hunting, has no problem with stepping on our rights for police and the DNR.


We also need to hit the rural dems, while they are dems, hunting and guns is important to their constituents they will be the most likely ones to break ranks.

Tie ARs etc to hunting, lots of people can and do hunt deer with them, the DNR modified their rules allowing them because there was a large push of people who wanted to be able to hunt with their AR.

DPMS is here, Federal is here those are jobs for Minnesotans


Are there any educated predictions as to how this may pan out if it makes it to a vote? The house is 72D 60R  and the drunk will sign it in a heartbeat.