ST. PAUL, MN – State Representative Dave Pinto (DFL – St. Paul) responded to the committee passage of a Republican omnibus public safety bill today, by calling its failure to include bipartisan gun violence prevention measures deeply disappointing. Rep. Pinto released the following statement:
“The Public Safety Committee has an obligation to keep the public safe. Minnesotans are demanding that we do more to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. Two gun violence prevention bills - criminal background checks on every gun purchase and extreme risk protection orders - are on the table right now ready for action. Both bills are in current use in other states, have bipartisan support, and have overwhelming majority support from the public and from Minnesota gun owners. But Republican leaders are using committee rules and procedure to keep us from taking action on them. I am ready and eager to work with anyone to get these bills passed to keep Minnesotans safe. Our failure to do anything to prevent gun violence is deeply, deeply disappointing.”
Rep. Pinto is the chief author of two of the leading gun violence prevention measures. One would require expanding criminal background checks that apply to most sales of firearms to cover all sales (HF 1669). The other would allow family members or law enforcement to seek a temporary court order removing guns when an individual is shown to be a significant danger (HF 1605). Both bills were tabled by the Republican-controlled Minnesota House Public Safety Committee in March, and Republican members refused to take them from the table again at a later meeting in March.
Rep. Pinto encourages community members of St. Paul's Macalester-Groveland, Highland Park, and Fort Road/West 7th neighborhoods to contact him on any legislative issue. He can be reached by email at rep.dave.pinto@house.mn or phone at 651-296-4199.