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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