April
30, 2005--After Minnesota's 2003 shall-issue concealed carry bill
was ruled unconstitutional by a state high court, supporters introduced
a new stand-alone version of the bill. (See Minnesota
Court Of Appeals Rules Concealed Carry Law Unconstitutional).
With the state having over a year of experience
with a shall-issue system, and with objections from law enforcement
officials muted, supporters and opponents of the re-enacted bill
predicted easy passage.
On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Dean
Johnson said that he intended to have an up-or-down vote on the
bill, and not hold it up in committee.
"The issue perhaps is not as volatile
as we thought last year,'' said Johnson (DFL-Willmar), who opposed
the bill in 2003. "I don't think the problems have played
out as predicted.''
Sheriff Steve Borchardt, head of the state
sheriff's association, proposed some revisions to the bill, including
allowing sheriffs to ask more questions about an applicant's background.
Overall, though, Sheriff Borchardt was
pleased with the law. "The fact is the sky didn't fall,''
he told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "The fact is it worked
pretty seamlessly.''
Later on Wednesday, though, the bipartisan
spirit in the legislature began to fray.
House Speaker Steve Sviggum (R-Kenyon)
had counted on an up-or-down vote on the bill in the Senate in
the 2005 session, and said that he had reached a handshake agreement
with Senate Majority Leader Johnson.
By evening, Johnson told Sviggum that
the bill would go through a committee, and be open to amendments.
Supporters of the bill, including sponsor
Represenative Larry Howes (R-Walker) resisted making any changes
to the bill.
The sudden change in tide prompted Speaker
Sviggum to consider postponing a vote on the bill until next year.
"Do I want to take four or five hours
on the House floor to bring forward a bill that I have great concerns
and great anxiety about what the Senate will do with it?'' said
Sviggum.
Members of Minnesota's Concealed Carry
Reform Now organization are continuing to pressure Senate Majority
Leader Johnson to keep his promises.
Tim Grant, of Minnesota's CCRN, wrote
in an email to supporters, "Earlier today I sent out some
pretty tough words for Sen. Johnson.
Needless to say Sen. Johnson and I had a candid and frank conversation
regarding re-passage of the MPPA. Sen. Johnson continues to hold
his
position that a floor vote will be taken on re-passage. I hope
he is
correct."
While the turmoil goes on in the state
legislature, the Minnesota State Attorney General's Office intends
to appeal the ruling of the Court of Appeals to the State Supreme
Court.
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