May
24, 2005--Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty followed through on
his promise to sign a renewed shall-issue concealed weapons
carry bill today.
The bill, which is essentially identical
to a version passed in 2003, allows Minnesota residents who
undergo a background check and receive training to carry concealed
weapons.
In 2003, Minnesota passed a shall-issue
concealed carry law, only to have it struck down by two court
decisions. (See Minnesota
Court of Appeals Rules Concealed Carry Law Unconstitutional).
Supporters of concealed carry introduced
a new bill this year that met the requirements for "stand-alone"
legislation that the courts had objected to.
Prior to the passage of the 2003 law,
Minnesota was a discretionary-issue state, meaning that issuance
of a permit was at the discretion of county sheriffs. While
some 11,000 Minnesota residents had permits at the end of 2002,
sheriffs from large metropolitan areas such as Minneapolis,
St. Paul, and Duluth had refused to issue permits.
Opponents of the new law have vowed
to return to court to challenge it, although it is unclear on
what basis they would challenge the law. The most vocal and
powerful opponents of the bill are church groups who object
to having to post "no guns" signs on their buildings,
and also object to being unable to prohibit permit holders from
storing their firearms in vehicles on church parking lots.
With the governor's signature today,
the shall-issue law becomes effective tomorrow, May 25th.
Minnesota permits will be valid in the
following states: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky,
Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah.
Passage of the Minnesota law leaves
Iowa as the only Midwestern state with a discretionary-issue
law. Further, it leaves four Midwestern states--Wisconsin, Illinios,
Nebraska, and Kansas--as the only states in the country with
no provision whatsoever for citizens to carry concealed weapons.
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