2-19-03
MPPA Hearing Update
(Repost Far and Wide)
This MPPA message contains a lot of information, so it is important to read it all.
First. The MPPA is scheduled to be heard before the House Judiciary Policy and Finance Committee on Wednesday 2/26 beginning at 10:15 to about noon. This is a major hearing and we would like to see everyone who can manage the morning off to attend. Rep. Steve Smith will chair the meeting. He is a very strong MPPA supporter. We expect the bill to pass, Nevertheless our opposition has been active over the past week in communicating with both House and Senate membership. It is time we pick up the pace.
The members of the committee you need to call are:
Chair: Steve Smith (R) A 296-9188 [email protected]
Vice Chair: Rob Eastlund (R) A 296-5364 [email protected]
Lead-DFL: Mary Murphy (DFL) A 296-2676 [email protected]
Jeff Anderson (R) ? 296-4193 [email protected]
Greg Blaine (R) A 296-4247 [email protected]
Doug Fuller (R) A 296-5516 [email protected]
Eric Lipman (R) A 296-4244 [email protected]
Doug Meslow (R) B 296-5363 [email protected]
Duke Powell (R) ? 296-4212 [email protected]
Jim Rhodes (R) D 296-9889 [email protected]
Judy Soderstrom (R) A 296-0518 [email protected]
Steve Strachan (R) A 296-1069 [email protected]
Dale Walz (R) A 296-4333 [email protected]
Keith Ellison (DFL) D 296-8659 [email protected]
Debra Hilstrom (DFL) F 296-3709 [email protected]
Bill Hilty (DFL) D 296-4308 [email protected]
Sheldon Johnson (DFL) F 296-4201 [email protected]
John Lesch (DFL) ? 296-4224 [email protected]
Michael Paymar (DFL) F 296-4199 [email protected]
Cy Thao (DFL) F 296-5158 [email protected]
ex-officio Jim Knoblach (R) A 296-6316 [email protected]
Once through the Judiciary Policy committee the MPPA will go to the Ways and Means committee in the house before moving to the floor.
What's happening with the MPPA
For years we have challenged gun control advocates to walk their talk. We have suggested that, if they really believe that severely limiting or banning firearms will make them safer, then they should be willing to put a sign reading "GUN FREE HOME" in the window of their residences. As you might expect, no one has taken us up on the offer
We have been challenge by gun control advocates and representatives of Minnesota's education establishment to amend the MPPA to ban guns in schools. This would be like putting a "No Guns: Kill at Will" sign in every school in the state. It will advertise to every terrorist, every criminal, and every deranged lunatic, that Minnesota schools will be more vulnerable targets then they are today. We believe this is bad public policy and WILL put your, and my, children at greater risk then they are today. This is political correctness and so-called "zero tolerance" run amuck.
In working with law enforcement on this legislation they advanced the long accepted principle that past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior. We agree. For all the years I have been involved with this issue, Permits to Carry have been, and continue to be, valid in schools, churches, recreations centers, sporting venues throughout the state without incident. Interestingly enough, the second annual report released by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirms that Minnesota already has over 12,000 permit holders, and yet there has not been a single permit holder arrested for using a firearm in the commission of a crime. Making permits invalid in school is an ill-conceived solution looking for a problem.
Shall issue permit systems guarantee equal treatment under the law and provide a deterrent against criminal activity. According to the FBI, shall issue states had a 29% lower violent crime rate last year than non-shall issue states. Shall issue states are also over-represented at the safer end of the violent crime continuum. In other words, safer states strongly tend to be shall issue states, while the most dangerous states tend to be the few states that still limit or prohibit permits.
But the deterrent is only valuable where it is known to exist. In every facility in which permit holders are denied access, there is an increased likelihood of an attack, by providing, and announcing, a "defense-free zone" for criminals and terrorists.
Our representatives and senators will be lobbied to make venue after venue, facility after facility into a so-called "gun free" zone. In truth such rules will ONLY affect the innocent, since criminals and terrorists will ignore them. It will also severely reduce the deterrent value that shall issue has been shown to produce.
If the legislature allows banning permit holders in schools, two things are certain. First, schools will not be safer just because a permit holder is no longer allowed to carry a gun into a school; they are not a threat in the first place, as the record has shown. Second, should a school become a target of terrorists or even a psychotic student, then the gun control advocates, Minnesota's education establishment, and legislators are going to have to take a share of responsibility for the consequences.
We need to let legislators know that it is unacceptable to create such "defense free" zones.
Finally, our opposition will be working hard to pile "killer" amendments onto the MPPA. We must communicate to our elected representatives that we are watching and we will expect them to vote down such amendments.
In the Senate
DFL Senate leadership is still controlled by a small group of inner city "Metrocrats" who are taking a "Hunker Down" approach that can only hurt them in the long run. Unfortunately these actions will also block legislation supported by a majority of Minnesotans (and a majority of Senators). So what are they doing?
Changing the rules in the middle of the game -
Sabotaging Senate rule 5.2. This rule normally allows a majority (34) of the Senators to pull a piece of legislation from a committee to the floor of the Senate and allow the whole Senate to vote on the measure. The rule is rarely successfully used. However, its design is an important check on Committee Chairs holding legislation hostage or attempting to kill popular legislation.
DFL Senate leadership and Metrocrats fear legislation like the MPPA so - they are changing the rule, proposing that it require a "super majority" (41 votes) to pull a bill from committee to the floor. In a closely divided Senate, this effectively allows the Metrocrats to kill any bill in committee.
Hiding from the public -
Under the guise of budget cuts, the DFL Senate leadership has decided to black out ALL public television broadcasts of their proceedings, effective March 17!
Sequestering of the Senate --
Under the guise of budget cuts the DFL Senate leadership has decided to cut off access to Senators during floor sessions by eliminating the pages. In the past, pages have taken notes to senators requesting that they step out of the chamber to visit with citizens and lobbyists. During floor fights to pass legislation, access to senators can be critical in the tactical battles to win a legislative victory. Without pages, there is no way to get messages to senators. We can only hope that Senate Republicans donate staff time, arrange for student interns or spend money from their caucus budget to restore access to our elected representatives.
Summary --
We have been told that the Senate is going to hear the MPPA in committee. We have not been told when or where. Never mind the committees are stacked against us. Never mind any changes to the bill in the senate will trigger a conference committee in which the MPPA will die.
What has really surprised us is that at least one DFL Senator who has in the past been a supporter has threatened to vote against the MPPA if it arrives on the floor though any other process other than the senate committee process. It causes us to wonder. So far, DFL senators have been unwilling to make any move that could be seen as supporting passage of the MPPA - other than trying to take control of the bill from Sen. Pariseau. It's been all talk and no walk
We believe it is time to let these Senators know that this type of game playing is unbecoming. We need to encourage them (politely but FIRMLY) to PASS THE MPPA AS WRITTEN IN THE PARISEAU AND BOUDREAU BILLS, WITHOUT AMENDEDMENTS. Tell them you will support them for passing the undiluted MPPA. And that you will NOT support them if they play political games. Below are the Senators you should write or call (again be positive yet firm):
Dallas C. Sams 11 A+
David Tomassoni 05 A
Gary W. Kubly 20 A
Jim Vickerman 22 A
Keith Langseth 09 A
Leroy Stumpf 01 A
Rod Skoe 02 A
Thomas (Tom) Bakk 06 A
Tom Saxhaug 03 B
You can get contact information from:
http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/
CCRN LEADERSHIP TEAM
MPPA Hearing Update
(Repost Far and Wide)
This MPPA message contains a lot of information, so it is important to read it all.
First. The MPPA is scheduled to be heard before the House Judiciary Policy and Finance Committee on Wednesday 2/26 beginning at 10:15 to about noon. This is a major hearing and we would like to see everyone who can manage the morning off to attend. Rep. Steve Smith will chair the meeting. He is a very strong MPPA supporter. We expect the bill to pass, Nevertheless our opposition has been active over the past week in communicating with both House and Senate membership. It is time we pick up the pace.
The members of the committee you need to call are:
Chair: Steve Smith (R) A 296-9188 [email protected]
Vice Chair: Rob Eastlund (R) A 296-5364 [email protected]
Lead-DFL: Mary Murphy (DFL) A 296-2676 [email protected]
Jeff Anderson (R) ? 296-4193 [email protected]
Greg Blaine (R) A 296-4247 [email protected]
Doug Fuller (R) A 296-5516 [email protected]
Eric Lipman (R) A 296-4244 [email protected]
Doug Meslow (R) B 296-5363 [email protected]
Duke Powell (R) ? 296-4212 [email protected]
Jim Rhodes (R) D 296-9889 [email protected]
Judy Soderstrom (R) A 296-0518 [email protected]
Steve Strachan (R) A 296-1069 [email protected]
Dale Walz (R) A 296-4333 [email protected]
Keith Ellison (DFL) D 296-8659 [email protected]
Debra Hilstrom (DFL) F 296-3709 [email protected]
Bill Hilty (DFL) D 296-4308 [email protected]
Sheldon Johnson (DFL) F 296-4201 [email protected]
John Lesch (DFL) ? 296-4224 [email protected]
Michael Paymar (DFL) F 296-4199 [email protected]
Cy Thao (DFL) F 296-5158 [email protected]
ex-officio Jim Knoblach (R) A 296-6316 [email protected]
Once through the Judiciary Policy committee the MPPA will go to the Ways and Means committee in the house before moving to the floor.
What's happening with the MPPA
For years we have challenged gun control advocates to walk their talk. We have suggested that, if they really believe that severely limiting or banning firearms will make them safer, then they should be willing to put a sign reading "GUN FREE HOME" in the window of their residences. As you might expect, no one has taken us up on the offer
We have been challenge by gun control advocates and representatives of Minnesota's education establishment to amend the MPPA to ban guns in schools. This would be like putting a "No Guns: Kill at Will" sign in every school in the state. It will advertise to every terrorist, every criminal, and every deranged lunatic, that Minnesota schools will be more vulnerable targets then they are today. We believe this is bad public policy and WILL put your, and my, children at greater risk then they are today. This is political correctness and so-called "zero tolerance" run amuck.
In working with law enforcement on this legislation they advanced the long accepted principle that past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior. We agree. For all the years I have been involved with this issue, Permits to Carry have been, and continue to be, valid in schools, churches, recreations centers, sporting venues throughout the state without incident. Interestingly enough, the second annual report released by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension confirms that Minnesota already has over 12,000 permit holders, and yet there has not been a single permit holder arrested for using a firearm in the commission of a crime. Making permits invalid in school is an ill-conceived solution looking for a problem.
Shall issue permit systems guarantee equal treatment under the law and provide a deterrent against criminal activity. According to the FBI, shall issue states had a 29% lower violent crime rate last year than non-shall issue states. Shall issue states are also over-represented at the safer end of the violent crime continuum. In other words, safer states strongly tend to be shall issue states, while the most dangerous states tend to be the few states that still limit or prohibit permits.
But the deterrent is only valuable where it is known to exist. In every facility in which permit holders are denied access, there is an increased likelihood of an attack, by providing, and announcing, a "defense-free zone" for criminals and terrorists.
Our representatives and senators will be lobbied to make venue after venue, facility after facility into a so-called "gun free" zone. In truth such rules will ONLY affect the innocent, since criminals and terrorists will ignore them. It will also severely reduce the deterrent value that shall issue has been shown to produce.
If the legislature allows banning permit holders in schools, two things are certain. First, schools will not be safer just because a permit holder is no longer allowed to carry a gun into a school; they are not a threat in the first place, as the record has shown. Second, should a school become a target of terrorists or even a psychotic student, then the gun control advocates, Minnesota's education establishment, and legislators are going to have to take a share of responsibility for the consequences.
We need to let legislators know that it is unacceptable to create such "defense free" zones.
Finally, our opposition will be working hard to pile "killer" amendments onto the MPPA. We must communicate to our elected representatives that we are watching and we will expect them to vote down such amendments.
In the Senate
DFL Senate leadership is still controlled by a small group of inner city "Metrocrats" who are taking a "Hunker Down" approach that can only hurt them in the long run. Unfortunately these actions will also block legislation supported by a majority of Minnesotans (and a majority of Senators). So what are they doing?
Changing the rules in the middle of the game -
Sabotaging Senate rule 5.2. This rule normally allows a majority (34) of the Senators to pull a piece of legislation from a committee to the floor of the Senate and allow the whole Senate to vote on the measure. The rule is rarely successfully used. However, its design is an important check on Committee Chairs holding legislation hostage or attempting to kill popular legislation.
DFL Senate leadership and Metrocrats fear legislation like the MPPA so - they are changing the rule, proposing that it require a "super majority" (41 votes) to pull a bill from committee to the floor. In a closely divided Senate, this effectively allows the Metrocrats to kill any bill in committee.
Hiding from the public -
Under the guise of budget cuts, the DFL Senate leadership has decided to black out ALL public television broadcasts of their proceedings, effective March 17!
Sequestering of the Senate --
Under the guise of budget cuts the DFL Senate leadership has decided to cut off access to Senators during floor sessions by eliminating the pages. In the past, pages have taken notes to senators requesting that they step out of the chamber to visit with citizens and lobbyists. During floor fights to pass legislation, access to senators can be critical in the tactical battles to win a legislative victory. Without pages, there is no way to get messages to senators. We can only hope that Senate Republicans donate staff time, arrange for student interns or spend money from their caucus budget to restore access to our elected representatives.
Summary --
We have been told that the Senate is going to hear the MPPA in committee. We have not been told when or where. Never mind the committees are stacked against us. Never mind any changes to the bill in the senate will trigger a conference committee in which the MPPA will die.
What has really surprised us is that at least one DFL Senator who has in the past been a supporter has threatened to vote against the MPPA if it arrives on the floor though any other process other than the senate committee process. It causes us to wonder. So far, DFL senators have been unwilling to make any move that could be seen as supporting passage of the MPPA - other than trying to take control of the bill from Sen. Pariseau. It's been all talk and no walk
We believe it is time to let these Senators know that this type of game playing is unbecoming. We need to encourage them (politely but FIRMLY) to PASS THE MPPA AS WRITTEN IN THE PARISEAU AND BOUDREAU BILLS, WITHOUT AMENDEDMENTS. Tell them you will support them for passing the undiluted MPPA. And that you will NOT support them if they play political games. Below are the Senators you should write or call (again be positive yet firm):
Dallas C. Sams 11 A+
David Tomassoni 05 A
Gary W. Kubly 20 A
Jim Vickerman 22 A
Keith Langseth 09 A
Leroy Stumpf 01 A
Rod Skoe 02 A
Thomas (Tom) Bakk 06 A
Tom Saxhaug 03 B
You can get contact information from:
http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/
CCRN LEADERSHIP TEAM
