MsGiglz
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Gun Law Takes Effect Without Planned Change
May 28, 2003 9:18 am US/Central
St. Paul (AP) A new law allowing most Minnesotans to get permits to carry concealed handguns law took effect Wednesday without an 11th-hour change sought by both its sponsors and Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Permit applicants began lining up in the morning at the Ramsey County sheriff's office, where Deputy Kirk Bergman said they were booked solid for taking applications through the end of the week.
Jason Hedquist, 25, of Shoreview, was one of the first in line for a permit. He said he wanted one because "it's a constitutional right."
The change sought by sponsors and Pawlenty would allow a business or church to either post a sign or tell visitors directly if they want to keep handguns out of their buildings.
As the law is now, someone would have to do both before it would be illegal for a person to carry a concealed gun inside the property.
"It's burdensome, cumbersome, not very workable," Pawlenty said of the provision.
A Hennepin County judge set a hearing for Thursday on a request by Edina Community Lutheran Church and more than 40 other places of worship for a temporary restraining order against the notification requirement and language that would still allow guns in church parking lots. The lawsuit claims these provisions violate religious freedom.
Though legislative leaders said they agreed in principle to change the notification requirement, neither chamber voted on it Tuesday.
Senate Democratic leaders said the change was a good one, but balked at letting it pass in a bill making "technical" changes to laws, as Pawlenty had hoped.
Senate Majority Leader John Hottinger, DFL-St. Peter, said the switch would be making a significant change in the bill. He said he'd like to see more changes made.
"There are many, many, many things wrong with that gun bill. Just to fix the one that's causing the governor political problems is far short of resolving the terrible difficulties that came from the rush of that bill through the process," he said.
Sviggum said he smelled politics in the stance.
If they don't want to take care of a situation, I think it is on their backs," he said. "They're trying to play it and make it worse and play politics with it."
Sviggum said the bill would move in the House Wednesday, but that process could open it up to amendments by opponents and possibly threaten its passage.
"God bless them, they can take their shot," Pawlenty's chief of staff Charlie Weaver said of opponents. "They get a day's worth of shots for the governor asking for them to make this change."
Weaver emphasized, though, that the new law will in most cases make it more restrictive for people to carry permitted handguns. "Remember, this language is an improvement over existing law."
He said the governor wouldn't support any other changes in the bill other than the one related to signs, which would require changing an "and" in the bill to "or."
The law is expected to increase the number of permits to carry a pistol in public from about 12,000 currently to as many as 90,000 in a few years. The Legislature approved the bill in April and Pawlenty signed the legislation within hours of it landing on his desk.
Law enforcement officials will be required to issue "conceal and carry" permits to all applicants 21 or older who meet standards of U.S. citizenship, handgun safety training and a criminal and mental-health background check. Previously, police chiefs and sheriffs had broad discretion to grant or deny permits for occupational needs or personal protection.
A few county boards and court officials have moved to ban guns on their property even though the law allows permit holders to carry them there in some instances.
DFL lawmakers gathered at a Minneapolis park Tuesday with petitions to repeal the entire law. They had 600 signatures already.
"We don't need to fix up this bill," said Nora Slawik, DFL-Maplewood. Instead it needs to be repealed, she said.
Slawik said that the apparent willingness of the bill's sponsors to open it up for changes was a good sign, but it should have been done before the bill the passed the first time.
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_148102004.html
May 28, 2003 9:18 am US/Central
St. Paul (AP) A new law allowing most Minnesotans to get permits to carry concealed handguns law took effect Wednesday without an 11th-hour change sought by both its sponsors and Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Permit applicants began lining up in the morning at the Ramsey County sheriff's office, where Deputy Kirk Bergman said they were booked solid for taking applications through the end of the week.
Jason Hedquist, 25, of Shoreview, was one of the first in line for a permit. He said he wanted one because "it's a constitutional right."
The change sought by sponsors and Pawlenty would allow a business or church to either post a sign or tell visitors directly if they want to keep handguns out of their buildings.
As the law is now, someone would have to do both before it would be illegal for a person to carry a concealed gun inside the property.
"It's burdensome, cumbersome, not very workable," Pawlenty said of the provision.
A Hennepin County judge set a hearing for Thursday on a request by Edina Community Lutheran Church and more than 40 other places of worship for a temporary restraining order against the notification requirement and language that would still allow guns in church parking lots. The lawsuit claims these provisions violate religious freedom.
Though legislative leaders said they agreed in principle to change the notification requirement, neither chamber voted on it Tuesday.
Senate Democratic leaders said the change was a good one, but balked at letting it pass in a bill making "technical" changes to laws, as Pawlenty had hoped.
Senate Majority Leader John Hottinger, DFL-St. Peter, said the switch would be making a significant change in the bill. He said he'd like to see more changes made.
"There are many, many, many things wrong with that gun bill. Just to fix the one that's causing the governor political problems is far short of resolving the terrible difficulties that came from the rush of that bill through the process," he said.
Sviggum said he smelled politics in the stance.
If they don't want to take care of a situation, I think it is on their backs," he said. "They're trying to play it and make it worse and play politics with it."
Sviggum said the bill would move in the House Wednesday, but that process could open it up to amendments by opponents and possibly threaten its passage.
"God bless them, they can take their shot," Pawlenty's chief of staff Charlie Weaver said of opponents. "They get a day's worth of shots for the governor asking for them to make this change."
Weaver emphasized, though, that the new law will in most cases make it more restrictive for people to carry permitted handguns. "Remember, this language is an improvement over existing law."
He said the governor wouldn't support any other changes in the bill other than the one related to signs, which would require changing an "and" in the bill to "or."
The law is expected to increase the number of permits to carry a pistol in public from about 12,000 currently to as many as 90,000 in a few years. The Legislature approved the bill in April and Pawlenty signed the legislation within hours of it landing on his desk.
Law enforcement officials will be required to issue "conceal and carry" permits to all applicants 21 or older who meet standards of U.S. citizenship, handgun safety training and a criminal and mental-health background check. Previously, police chiefs and sheriffs had broad discretion to grant or deny permits for occupational needs or personal protection.
A few county boards and court officials have moved to ban guns on their property even though the law allows permit holders to carry them there in some instances.
DFL lawmakers gathered at a Minneapolis park Tuesday with petitions to repeal the entire law. They had 600 signatures already.
"We don't need to fix up this bill," said Nora Slawik, DFL-Maplewood. Instead it needs to be repealed, she said.
Slawik said that the apparent willingness of the bill's sponsors to open it up for changes was a good sign, but it should have been done before the bill the passed the first time.
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_148102004.html
what? I can't believe it, I am glad I am not live in Minessota anymore
right now with crazy things goin on. :roll: