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.
|
