May
15, 2005--After two weeks of back-and-forth negotiations between
Republicans and Democrats, the Minnesota state Senate passed a
new, revised shall-issue concealed carry bill.
The future of the bill seemed questionable
when a handshake agreement between House Speaker Steve Sviggum
(R-Kenyon) and Senate Majority Leader Dean Johson (DFL-Willmar)
appeared to fall apart. (See
Minnesota Concealed Carry Bill Rides Legislative See-Saw).
Johnson had told Sviggum that the bill
would get an up or down vote on the Senate floor, and would not
need to go to committee.
The bill did wind up going to a Senate
committee, however, where many amendments were added that supporters
of the bill objected to.
It was thought that the bill would have
to be scuttled and brought up again in the next legislative session.
However, supporters of the bill in the
Senate stripped it of all of the amendments added in committee.
The bill then passed in the Senate by a margin of 44 to 21.
Supporters of the bill were pleased with
today's action.
Senator Pat Pariseau (R-Farmington) said
that the amendments added in the committee were an affront to
honest, law-abiding gun owners.
"The people of Minnesota understood
this from the beginning, it was just here in these halls that
they didn't understand it," he said. "You can trust
citizens to use their rights responsibly. I think we proved that
we can trust them."
The bill is now headed to the House, where
it enjoys strong support. If it passes there as expected, the
governor has indicated he would sign it.
Nevertheless, opponents of the bill have
not given up.
"They've pretty much guaranteed that
the state's going to be right back in court again," said
Rebecca Thoman, executive director of Citizens for a Safer Minnesota.
"They're just showing the sway that the gun lobby has over
the Legislature."
Foremost among opponents of the bill are
church groups who argue that they should have greater power to
restrict the presence of guns in their churches.
"Most people of faith that I know
don't want guns where they worship," said Senator Wes Skoglund
(DFL-Minneapolis).
Churches, as well as private businesses,
will still be able to post "no guns" signs. However,
churches and businesses would not be able to prohibit guns in
their parking lots. Thus, permit holders would be able to put
their guns in the trunks of their cars before entering the buildings.
Permit holders would still be able to
carry in government buildings, though, after an amendment restricting
carry in such buildings was voted down.
A vote on the bill in the House has not
yet been scheduled, although it is expected to happen as soon
as next week. The bill would become effective immediately after
the governor's signature.
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