Judging from news reports and other commentary from those who attended the Minnesota Senate hearings this week on proposed gun restrictions and bans, it looks as though outright bans are unlikely to even come up for a vote.
Drafts and proposals that feature outright bans on “assult” weapons (whatever that is) and magazines with capacities greater than 10 rounds have all recieved a frosty reception in the Senate. It has been clear from the outset that the Senate as a whole is much less willing to tread on Second Ammendment rights and as a whole is very skeptical of claims that cracking down on legal and law-abiding gun owners will somehow keep criminals from getting guns.
Overall, there seems to have been a dramatic difference in the testomoy with far less hysterical rantings from so-called “community activists”. I have wondered for some time how I can go about getting myself elected as one of these “commmunity activits”, but that’s another matter.
There were even some moments of consensus whereby both sides agreed that expanding no-gun laws to include more felons would be a good thing. Also there was general agreement that straw buyers should face stiffer peanalties. It’s not hard for me to get on board with this as we all know who the majority of straw buyers are and why they choose to aquire guns in this way.
We need to keep careful watch on what the more liberal and Minneapolis-biased house tries to do in coming weeks. Also, we need to watch that no tomfoolery occurs toward the end of the session by way of last-minute riders rammed through at the final hour.
Overall, though, it looks like sanity and common sense are making progress.
Grouse
