Toward Human Rights

I was one of the people eight years ago who rejoiced when a bipartisan sampling of Minnesota Reps and Senators passed the Minnesota Personal Protection Act.

Over the frenzied, and often incoherent, objections of the Metro Left and Media (pardon the redundancy), Republicans joined with commonsense outstate DFLers to affirm Minnesotans’ human right to self-defense, allowing demonastrably law-abiding, sane, unimpaired, trained Minnesotans to carry firearms for their and their family’s protection.  And the next year, when a DFL lapdog with a “judge” title scuppered the law with a frankly incoherent court decision, an even bigger group of legislators passed it into law again.

They were both wondrous days.

But there was a huge hole in the law; while the law removed the government’s discretion from issuing carry permits, it retained shocking amount of it in determining what “self-defense” was.  A Minnesotan who determines, literally as a matter of life and death, to use lethal force in self-defense can have his motives, and his compliance with the county attorney’s interpretation of the “Duty To Retreat” (of which there are 87 varieties in Minnesota, one for each county attorney) analyzed by someone who has all the time in the world to make up his or her mind any way he or she wants.

Today, we made the first step on the j0urney to fix all that.  Rep. Tony Cornish of Good Thunder introduced HF1497 last Friday.   And it makes some absolutely vital changes to Minnesota law:

  • Adds “Stand Your Ground” – The bill would join most states in removing the requirement that a would-be victim of violent crime must retreat from a place where he has a right to be before using deadly force in self defense.
  • Enhances “Castle Doctrine” – The bill clarifies the “Castle Doctrine”, removing the ambiguity from when and under what circumstances an individual may protect themselves while in their homes and vehicles with deadly force. It also creates a presumption that when responding to an apparent home invasion or kidnapping attempt, a person may use deadly force in self defense.
  • Prevents Gun Seizures During a State of Emergency – No more government dragnets to disarm the law-abiding during “emergencies”.  The door-to-door searches for guns after Hurricane Katrina provoked a wave of righteous indignation; never again.  Not in Minnesota.
  • Extends Purchase Permits to Five Years – The bill extends handgun purchase permits from one to five years, lengthens them to five-years. and requires the Minnesota Department of Human Services and state courts to make their background check records available to authorized agencies, including the National Instant Background Check system (NICS) – which was supposed to have been done in 1995.  ! This should speed up legitimate purchases, and make sure state and federal checks produce the same results.
  • Makes the appeal process more robust.
  • Makes Minnesota permits reciprocal with other states, subject to Minnesota law.

This is a vital bill, and very seriously needs to become law.

We need your help.

We need you, The People, to phone and email the members of the House Public Safety committee and help convince them to support this bill and oppose any amendments not authored by Rep. Cornish.  There are many legislators in Saint Paul who don’t remember the power of the concealed carry movement; they need a reminder.

Representative Kelby Woodard (Vice Chair)
651-296-7065
E-mail: rep.kelby.woodard@house.mn

Representative Joe Mullery (DFL Lead)
651-296-4262
E-mail: rep.joe.mullery@house.mn

Representative Kerry Gauthier (DFL)
651-296-4246
E-mail: rep.kerry.gauthier@house.mn

Representative Glenn Gruenhagen (R)
651-296-4229
E-mail: rep.glenn.gruenhagen@house.mn

Representative Bill Hilty (DFL)
651-296-4308
E-mail: rep.bill.hilty@house.mn

Representative Sheldon Johnson (DFL)
651-296-4201
E-mail: rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn

Representative Tim Kelly (R)
651-296-8635
E-mail: rep.tim.kelly@house.mn

Representative Andrea Kieffer (R)
651-296-1147
E-mail: rep.andrea.kieffer@house.mn

Representative John Kriesel (R)
651-296-4342
E-mail: rep.john.kriesel@house.mn

Representative Ernie Leidiger (R)
651-296-4282
E-mail: rep.ernie.leidiger@house.mn

Representative Carlos Mariani (DFL)
651-296-9714
E-mail: rep.carlos.mariani@house.mn

Representative Joe McDonald (R)
651-296-4336
E-mail: rep.joe.mcdonald@house.mn

Representative Rena Moran (DFL
)651-296-5158
E-mail: rep.rena.moran@house.mn

Representative Bud Nornes (R)
651-296-4946
E-mail: rep.bud.nornes@house.mn

Representative Linda Slocum (DFL)
651-296-7158
E-mail: rep.linda.slocum@house.mn

Representative Steve Smith (R)
651-296-9188
E-mail: rep.steve.smith@house.mn

Bulk email info below the jump:

You can email them all at once by pasting this list into your email client:

rep.kelby.woodard@house.mn; rep.joe.mullery@house.mn; rep.kerry.gauthier@house.mn; rep.glenn.gruenhagen@house.mn; rep.bill.hilty@house.mn; rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn; rep.tim.kelly@house.mn; rep.andrea.kieffer@house.mn; rep.john.kriesel@house.mn; rep.ernie.leidiger@house.mn; rep.carlos.mariani@house.mn; rep.joe.mcdonald@house.mn; rep.rena.moran@house.mn; rep.bud.nornes@house.mn; rep.linda.slocum@house.mn; rep.steve.smith@house.mn

Need that with commas instead? No problem!

rep.kelby.woodard@house.mn, rep.joe.mullery@house.mn, rep.kerry.gauthier@house.mn, rep.glenn.gruenhagen@house.mn, rep.bill.hilty@house.mn, rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn, rep.tim.kelly@house.mn, rep.andrea.kieffer@house.mn, rep.john.kriesel@house.mn, rep.ernie.leidiger@house.mn, rep.carlos.mariani@house.mn, rep.joe.mcdonald@house.mn, rep.rena.moran@house.mn, rep.bud.nornes@house.mn, rep.linda.slocum@house.mn, rep.steve.smith@house.mn

5 thoughts on “Toward Human Rights

  1. That gun seizure during a “state of emergency” always confused me. That would be the most vital time to actually be armed. Disclosure: I do not and never have owned a gun, but I always like to keep my options open.

  2. This a good bill, PLEASE contact your rep(s), and the reps listed above and let them know that you support HF 1497 (without further ammendments).

    The Anti’s will be dusting off Wes Skoglund’s bullet-proof vest and making all kinds of claim of impending carnage in trying to stop this bill. Heather Martens is already standing in a pool of her own urine. That aside the bill can be passed, and though I doubt Brave Sir Mark will sign it, it’s possible any veto on his part can be overriden.

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