Eliminating Extra Redundancy, And Getting Rid Of It
By Mitch Berg
The GOP majority in the Legislature has been gratifyingly quick about using their mandate to make a difference.
Tony Cornish, rep from Good Thunder, has been working faster than most.
Yesterday, he introduced a bill that would eliminate the state’s background check for handgun purchases – noting, quite rightly, that the state’s process is redundant. Minnesota is currently one of only 12 states that require handgun registration.
A surprise proposal by Republicans to repeal the state’s system of gun background checks and permits has set off an eruption of protest by DFLers and top law enforcement officials.
We’ll come back to the DFLers. Let’s talk about the “top law enforcement officials” – the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association and the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association. They have protested every bill supporting the human right of self-defense; they opposed the carry bill, Cornish’s castle law – you name it, the MPPO and the MCOP have protested it. Remember when they backed up Wes “Lying Sack of Garbage” Skogland in saying that carry permits would be going to gang-bangers? Their ostensible reason this time around is that it removes their discretion and their “ability to do background checks”.
They were wrong before, and they’re wrong now.
The bill, which easily cleared a GOP-controlled panel Wednesday, could sweep through a Minnesota House led by a new Republican majority.
Now, when guns are the subject, you can expect Heather Martens, of new astroturf group “Protect Minnesota”, to pop up:
“Whose side are you on?” said Heather Martens, executive director [and one of likely 2-3 members] of Protect Minnesota. “Are you on the side of the criminals who want to get easy access to guns? Or are you on the side of the public that expects to be protected by its law enforcement?”
Blah, blah, blah. Heather Martens is up there with Larry Jacobs as the most over-quoted person in the Twin Cities media. Unlike Jacobs, she doesn’t actually work at a real academic institution, although the Humphrey Institute poll and Martens have about the same record for accuracy.
The biggest complaint? “The state check is more thorough than the Feds'”.
The answer? There are 38 states that have no such checks at all – they use the feds’ system – and they have no more, and usually fewer, problems than the states that do their own registrations, like Minnesota and 11 other (usually high-crime) states.
The story does talk with some people with some common sense…:
At Capra’s Outdoors in Blaine, gun department manager Todd Lundstrom said the federal background check makes the state permit seem redundant.
“Personally, I don’t see any benefit in it,” Lundstrom said. “If we didn’t do a background check with the FBI over the phone, yeah, then I’d say it’s a good idea to have that.” He said the change was unlikely to affect gun sales.
Rick Thompson of Blaine, a customer at Capra’s, said that existing state and federal gun laws are adequate.
“I wouldn’t want them any more restrictive or any less,” Thompson said. On state and federal background checks, he said, “I don’t know why you’d need both.”
The state system doesn’t need to exist. Time to get rid of it.
January 27th, 2011 at 8:13 am
I’m confused, Mitch. This post used the phrase “handgun registration” several times. That brings up mental images of some government official writing down the pistol’s serial number and linking it to your name in an official database so the weapon is “registered” to you.
I know you’ve been to Joel’s class, so I know you are aware that Minnesota does not have handgun registration. Minnesota has a system of permits for people to purchase handguns, and a seperate system for permits to carry handguns, but none of the handguns themselves ever are registered anywhere in Minnesota.
Which leaves me with two possiblities. Either the Star Trib did a better job of more accurately reporting this story than you; or you’re trying to make a point by deliberately using the wrong but most inflammatory phrase.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out what your point is.
.
January 27th, 2011 at 8:31 am
Mea culpa – I heard “registration” in a local media outlet, and wrote this post at 5AM, before I’d had coffee.
January 27th, 2011 at 8:58 am
When I last purchased a handgun, I went to the fine offices of the SPPD with the form that I had downloaded from the state, all filled out, to get my permit to purchase. Now the state form note that it was a uniform form good in all jurisdictions, but SPPD made me fill out their own form. All the same information, in different spaces. Took a few days to get the permit back. When I went to the retailer to purchase the gun, it took 5 minutes for him to log in to the national system and get an approval.
January 27th, 2011 at 9:11 am
“Good Thunder”. Great name for a town (kinda like New Hope). We need a whole lot of “Good Thunder” in St. Paul. Carry on Mr. Cornish. There is much work to do, and the window of opportunity may be small.
January 27th, 2011 at 11:09 am
In the state capital during the debate on this issue…..Sandy Pappas and other DFLers wore bullet proof vests into the chambers and said they will not be able to walk their dogs anymore if this passes.
January 27th, 2011 at 11:52 am
Wearing of the bullet proof vest would’ve been a grandstanding technique they leanred from former State Senator Wes “Skogie” Skoglund. He made a spectacle of himself on the Senate Floor with that theatrical display back in ’03 during the MPPA debate. It is today what it was back then, simple minded sensationalism.
The DFL never has had much creativity, except in their methods of reaching into everyones pocket!!!!!
January 27th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
I remember the DFLers saying the if Conceal-Carry passes, there will be shootouts at the Metrodome and the State Fair.
January 27th, 2011 at 3:12 pm
I also remember a discussion (very likely right here at SiTD) about how wearing of costumes was expressly prohibited in the MN legislative chambers, but nothing happened to the (dis)honorable Mr Skoglund.
January 27th, 2011 at 5:58 pm
Bill C : Be serious, you’re not doing to arrest the entire DFL caucus every legislative day for appearing as clowns are you??? We got quorums to think about.