Dear Neighbor,
We’ve just begun the third week of the 2024 legislative session and already it is time to send an alert to those who support the Second Amendment and cherish the right to bear arms.
This call to action is necessary because the Democrat party-run House committee on public safety is conducting hearings for a pair of anti-Second Amendment bills during a meeting 10:30 a.m. Thursday in St. Paul.
The two bills of note for that hearing are H.F. 601 – Her, arbitrary deadline for reporting for lost and stolen firearms; and H.F. XXXX – Becker-Finn, requiring ammunition and firearms to be stored separately.
It’s no secret some people in the majority party would just as soon ban guns altogether. Many of those same people also know it is unrealistic to try eliminating the Second Amendment from our Constitution in one fell swoop. Instead, they realize they can achieve the same result by making it impractical and legally hazardous for citizens to own guns. Last year, Democrats used their control of St. Paul to enact universal background checks and red flag confiscation orders. Now, they are continuing to undermine the Second Amendment.
For example, Rep. Her’s bill puts the onus on the victim of a crime to file a report to law enforcement within the government’s definition of reasonable time. If you are the victim of a firearm theft, and the perpetrator of that crime commits another crime with your stolen weapon, the bill stipulates that you may be held responsible. Democrats expect your guns to be locked and hidden away yet expect you to know within their definition of “reasonable” when your guns have been stolen.
Rep. Becker-Finn’s bill has not received a House File number, but this looks to be a reincarnation of last year’s H.F. 396 she introduced. The gist of this year’s bill is it dramatically increases penalties for negligent firearm storage contributing to the subsequent crime or death. But these increased penalties come in a context where the actual perpetrators of such crimes are increasingly released back out onto the street under laws passed by Democrats in 2023.
According to the meeting notice, the hearing will be a ticketed event with an overflow room and will be broadcast on House TV. Public and written testimony will be heard on the Becker-Finn storage bill. Public testimony will not be allowed on H.F. 601, but written testimony can be submitted until noon Wednesday. Click here for meeting details and for information to submit testimony.
Watch for more as this issue unfolds at the Capitol. It would be great to see some local testimony provided on this important issue.
Precinct caucuses Tuesday
This year’s precinct caucuses will take place at 7 p.m. this Tuesday. These meetings provide Minnesotans with the opportunity to participate in grassroots politics. The more people we have involved in this process, the better and I hope you can attend. The Minnesota Secretary of State website has a statewide Caucus Finder page to help citizens find their meeting locations.
Please Contact Me
It’s an honor and privilege to work for you at the Capitol. Don’t hesitate to contact my office at any time this session to share your thoughts, concerns or ideas. You can call me at 651-296-6316, or email me at rep.bernie.perryman@house.mn.gov. I am here to serve you!
Bernie