SAINT PAUL, Minn — The DFL-led Minnesota House of Representatives is expected to pass a public safety bill Wednesday that includes two gun control measures that Democrats have been pushing for years.
The House debated the bill late into Tuesday night before it was eventually tabled until Wednesday.
The first measure, commonly known as a "red flag law," allows extreme risk protection orders, giving family members and chief law enforcement officers the authority to remove guns from people who pose "a significant danger of bodily harm to others" or themselves.
"These are common sense measures that our constituents for years have been telling us that they want and we are going to do that today," said Rep. Kelly Moller, a Democrat from Shoreview.
House Republicans say the extreme risk protection orders don't provide support and care to those in crisis — in addition to being unconstitutional.
"The seizure of property without a warrant and due process, especially property that is protected by the second amendment, violates civil rights," said Rep. Paul Novotny, a Republican from Elk River.
The other major gun provision in the bill includes what are commonly called "universal background checks."
The bill says a private party who wants to transfer — not just sell — a pistol or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon to another unlicensed person will have to go to a gun dealer and ask for a background check, which again, the GOP opposes.
"At the same time they are pushing for lessening of crime penalties, they're trying to make more people into criminals who aren't doing anything wrong," Novatony said.
The Minnesota Senate did not include gun control measures in its own public safety bill that passed earlier this month, so it is unclear how the two chambers resolve the differences into the final unified bill.
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