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From:
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2013 10:27 PM
Subject: MN proposed gun legislation
The future of firearms are on the line here. Don’t sit on your hands and wait for someone else to rescue your rights. Act now...
Bills introduced in the Minnesota House and Senate on January 31 would add unprecedented restrictions on gun owners in Minnesota. The following is a relatively quick overview of the possible restrictions that Minnesota might soon face. Please note that this is not a complete or definitive summary of all the bills, the bills may change during the legislative process, and this summary was prepared quickly.
The Minnesota House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee is holding hearings on these bills, and others, next week. The hearings are scheduled for February 5, 6 and 7, starting at 10:00 am in Room 10 of the State Office Building. If you oppose any of these bills, or want to let your thoughts be known, please participate in these hearings, or at very least, contact your representatives.
Committee Home:
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/committee.asp?comm=88022 Committee Members:
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/committeemembers.asp?comm=88022 Committee Schedule:
http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/comm/schedule.asp?comm=88022
Information about contacting your legislators:
http://www.gis.leg.mn/OpenLayers/districts/
Guide to Participation:
http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/faq/faqtoc.aspx?subject=20
Hunters and sportsmen in New York recently woke up to find that many of these restrictions had been passed in their state. They are now faced with the dilemma of obeying the law and surrendering their magazines and rifles or becoming felons. We should not have to face the same choice, and we can avoid it.
Bill Summaries
HF 0243: 7 Round Magazine Limit
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0243..0.html&session=ls88
This bill would make it a felony to possess any magazine, internal or external, that holds more than seven (7) rounds. The only exceptions would be for tubular .22lr magazines or tubular magazines on a lever action rifle. Selling or giving away any larger capacity magazines would be prohibited, and as of August 1, 2013, you would need to transfer any magazine larger than 7 rounds out of the state or turn it over to a law enforcement agency for destruction. You would not be allowed to keep any magazines you owned prior to enactment of this bill. The bill makes no distinction between internal or external magazines, or pistols, rifles, or shotguns. En-bloc clips for an M1 Garand would likely be illegal under this bill.
This bill is authored by Representatives Hausman, Paymar, Johnson, and Simonson.
HF0242: 10 Round Magazine Limit
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0242..0.html&session=ls88
This is identical to HF0243, but the limit would be 10 rounds.
This bill is authored by Representatives Hausman, Slocum, Hornstein and Davine
HF0241: “Assault Weapon” Ban
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0241..0.html&session=ls88
This bill would create a ban on so-called assault weapons in Minnesota. The bill defines an assault weapon as:
A semi-automatic rifle that has the capacity to accept a detachable magazine and one or more of the following features: A pistol grip or thumbhole stock [Note: Yes, a Ruger 10/22 with a thumbhole stock would be banned]; Any feature capable of functioning as a protruding grip that can be held by the non- trigger hand; A folding or telescoping stock; Any partial or full barrel shroud for the off-hand
Any semi-automatic rifle or pistol, centerfire or rimfire, with an internal magazine that can accept more than seven (7) rounds. [Note: This would ban most semi-auto .22’s, M1 Garands, SKS’s, and other rifles.]
Any semi-automatic pistol that takes a detachable magazine and has one or more of the following features: Any feature that can be used as a protruding grip for the non-trigger hand; A folding, telescoping, or thumbhole stock; A barrel shroud of any kind for the off-hand; The ability to accept a detachable magazine outside of the pistol grip [Note: this would ban any AR or AK style pistol, as well as a Ruger Charger or similar pistol]
Any semi-automatic shotgun with one or more of the following features: A pistol grip or thumbhole stock [Comment: this would apply to many common turkey- hunting shotguns] Any feature that can function as a protruding grip for the off-hand; The ability to accept a detachable magazine; A folding or telescoping stock; The capacity to hold more than seven rounds [Note: The availability of 1 ¾” mini-shells from Aguila would likely make most semi-auto shotguns illegal]
Any shotgun with a revolving cylinder (such as the Rossi Circuit Judge)
Registration Requirement: This bill would also require annual registration of anything that qualifies as an “assault weapon” under the criteria listed above. Registration would involve a background check, require compliance with safe storage regulations set by local law enforcement agencies, allow that law enforcement agency to enter your home to inspect your storage arrangements, require that you report theft or loss of the weapon within 48 hours, and restrict use of the “assault weapon” to your property and licensed shooting ranges. Local law enforcement would be allowed to set whatever fee is deemed necessary for the annual registration of each weapon.
No Purchases or Transfers: This bill would also prevent purchase of any so-called “assault weapon” after February 1, 2013. You could not even transfer an assault weapon to your children; on your death they would be required to turn the weapon over to law enforcement or make it permanently inoperable.
Currently-owned Weapons: If you currently own an assault weapon (and remember, that would include quite a few common hunting rifles and shotguns), you would need to register it by September 1, 2013, remove it from Minnesota, surrender it to law enforcement for destruction, or make it permanently inoperable.
Felony Provisions: If you violate this law, you would be guilty of a felony and subject to up to five years in prison or a fine of not more than $25,000.00
This bill is authored by Representatives Hausman, Simonson, Hornstein, Davnie and Slocum.
HF 0244: Transfer Restrictions
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0244..0.html&session=ls88
This bill would make it a felony to falsely report the loss or theft of a firearm or to transfer a firearm to someone that you know or have reason to believe is disqualified from owning a firearm. And committing either crime would make you ineligible to possess any firearms.
This bill is authored by Representatives Jonson, S; Schoen, Slocum and Isaacson.
HF 0240: Mental Health Transfer Investigations and No Out-of-State Permits
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0240..0.html&session=ls88
Roughly summarized, this bill would add mental health screening to applicants for transferee or carry permits in Minnesota, if the applicant has any contact with law enforcement that indicates dangerous or violent behavior, serious mental illness, mental incompetence, or chemical dependency. It would also apply the same to existing requirements to report the sale or transfer of a pistol or assault-style weapon.
This bill would also eliminate non-Minnesota residents from obtaining a Minnesota permit to carry.
This bill is authored by Representatives Scheon, Simonson, Paymar, Isaacson and R. Dehn.
HF 0237: Expanded Restrictions on Firearm Ownership
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0237..0.html&session=ls88
This bill has multiple impacts.
Anyone under 18, without being in the presence of their parent or guardian, could not possess a firearm unless participating in military drill or in a class, competition, or target practice on shooting ranges approved by local law enforcement;
The bill also makes it easier for people to be denied the right to own a firearm due to mental health issues or substance abuse by removing the requirement that the commitment or confinement be ordered by a Judge.
The bill would also require ID to obtain a transferee permit (often called a “permit to purchase”).
Transferree permits would be subject to a $25 fee instead of free.
A permit to carry would not serve as a transferee permit unless it was issued within the previous 12 months.
All sales of pistols or semi-automatic, military style assault weapons would have to go through a licensed dealer, with fees capped at $25/transfer. Transfers to immediate family members would be exempt. And the ability to loan a firearm without conducting a formal transfer would also be restricted.
This bill is authored by Representatives Paymar, Schoen, R. Dehn, Simonson, and Hornstein.
Other bills introduced in the Minnesota House include:
HF0239: Regarding possession of firearms on private property after being ordered to leave.
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0239..0.html&session=ls88
HF 238: Unlawful possession of firearms on school property.
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0238..0.html&session=ls88
This bill would change the penalty for a permit-to-carry holder that carries a weapon on school grounds from a misdemeanor to a felony and makes the pistol subject to forfeiture.
This bill is authored by Davnie; Lesch; R. Dehn; Simonson; Schoen and others.
