January 29, 2013
Dear Mr. Steinhauer:
Thank you for contacting me to share your support for Second Amendment rights. I appreciate learning of your views. As you may know, firearms are regulated by a comprehensive system of federal and state laws and regulations designed to assist law enforcement in their efforts to reduce crime and violence. Federal law is the minimum and many states place tighter restrictions on gun possession including wait periods, semi-automatic weapons bans, and conceal and carry restrictions. A full list of Minnesota’s laws can be found by visiting the Minnesota Legislature website at http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/pubs/firearmsgd.pdf.
I believe more gun control is not the answer to addressing violence in our society. We must also recognize that often acts of violence deal with issues of mental health and mental illness. In 2008 I supported the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. Since the enactment of this legislation, federal law now requires that when an insurer chooses to cover mental health and substance use disorder services, they must offer coverage of those services at parity with medical and surgical services.
Like you, I believe we must ensure those affected by gun violence have the support they need from our nation’s leaders. We must not legislate in haste after acts of unspeakable violence like the tragedy that occurred at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut; instead, we must take a thoughtful, comprehensive approach.
Thank you again for contacting me. Please feel free to do so again regarding any issue of importance to you.
Sincerely,
JOHN KLINE Member of Congress
