And the bill has a chance to pass the state’s House….
This IS remarkable….
Most states have cut restructions on gun restrictions even with the mass shooting focus in the media….
Will there be anymore of this?
Oh?
Lets wait and see if this gets to the Governor’s desk….
The Minnesota Senate DFL majority passed new gun safety measures late Friday, punctuating a historically productive 2023 session by successfully wrangling one of the toughest issues in U.S. politics.
The gun provisions were part of an $880 million public safety spending package that passed on a 34-33 party-line vote. The House, as well as the Senate Judiciary Committee, already backed the gun measures, but the vote after nine hours of debate was the first by the full Senate this session.
Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic, DFL-Minneapolis, touted the work of her caucus. Minnesotans made it clear they want to be safe in their communities and the bill will do that, she said, adding that the bill will have a positive impact on the state. “We are leading and we are making a difference for Minnesotans,” she said.
The bill includes expanded background checks for private transfers and gun show sales, along with red flag-style laws allowing judges to remove guns from individuals determined to be dangerous.
Other provisions in the sweeping bill would reshape the clemency process and create a path for prisoners to reduce their sentences by as much as 17% by participating in education, therapy or training programs. Judges and judicial administrators would get pay raises and the state Public Defender’s Office would receive a substantial budget boost to hire more attorneys and increase pay.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, defended the broad bill, calling it a game-changing and transformative approach after what he described as years of failed GOP leadership and Senate control on crime.
“We are finally taking steps; a new and better approach,” Latz said. The GOP approach had been about increasing sentences and penalties. The DFL has a broader focus, doing more to help curb criminal behavior and help law enforcement, Latz said…..