Minnesota House Democrats are Making Progress on Gun Control
Jose Nino
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Gun control bills are making progress in the Minnesota state legislature, as Democrats are taking advantage of the majorities they recently gained at the state level.
With majorities in the State House (70-64) and State Senate (34-33), Democrats are advancing bills that would establish universal background checks and red flag gun confiscation orders.
Previously, the Minnesota Senate was a hotbed of opposition to gun control as Republicans took advantage of their majority status in the chamber to capsize anti-gun legislative initiatives. On February 9, 2023, the House Judiciary Committee voted in favor of the bills on a partisan basis. The bills are currently in the Senate, which may see stiff opposition due to the slim majority Democrats enjoy and the possibility of some Democrats getting cold feet on this issue.
Pro-gun organizations such as the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus and the National Rifle Association in addition to Republican elected officials have opposed these bills.
“This is a great one-two punch to dismantle our Second Amendment,” declared State Representative Brian Johnson.
Rob Doar, senior vice president of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, stated in an interview that Democrats couldn’t pass gun control when they held a trifecta in 2013-14. However, several prominent rural Democrats, who were receptive to gun rights, are no longer present. Doar claims these rural Democrats’ successors have been “very quiet” on their anti-gun positions and it’s unclear whether they’ll be as giddy about passing the two proposals as their compatriots representing the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.
Whether these bills will pass is anyone’s guess. One thing that can’t be ignored is how Republicans will occasionally sell out on key issues such as gun rights. That’s why the grassroots must maintain vigilance in this case and ensure that politicians across both sides of the aisle hold the line on Second Amendment matters.
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