A recent proposal to tighten gun restrictions throughout Minnesota just cleared its first hurdle by passing the Minnesota House. The proposed bill bans people convicted of domestic abuse, child abuse or stalking from possessing guns. Furthermore, the law would compel firearm owners with a history of those offenses to turn over any firearms in their possession to another person or legal entity permitted to receive those weapons within three days.
One of the law’s sponsors, Democratic Rep. Dan Schoen, is hopeful that the new law will ultimately save lives. Another of the bill’s supporters, Republican Rep. Tony Cornish, agrees with his colleague’s sentiment about the bill and says that the legislation is designed to protect the rights of gun owners and people living in domestic situations where the presence of the firearms might cause them to worry. Rep. Cornish has a reputation as an ardent defender of gun rights.
The Senate version of the bill has yet to be argued on the Senate floor, and the spokesman for Gov. Mark Dayton says that the governor will wait until for final language of the bill is hammered out before adopting a stance on the issue.
The issue of domestic abuse affects many citizens all throughout the state of Minnesota. People married to spouses or those in similar relationships who engage in domestic assault need to know that there are legal methods in place to help protect them and their children from being harmed by their abuser. For example, a victim can petition the court for an order of protection from a violent spouse. In many situations, that order will prohibit a would-be offender from having contact with the victim and may even require them to leave a shared residence in some situations.
Source: KSTP Channel 5, “Minn. House Approves Gun Ban for Domestic Abusers” No author given, Apr. 30, 2014