Dear neighbor,
The topic of gun violence has risen to the top of America’s collective conscious following the Parkland Tragedy and other recent mass shootings across our country. We all share in the same goal: protecting life at every stage. The time has come for a community discussion on how to best protect life, our neighbors, and our children.
Today, I announced that I am co-sponsoring commonsense legislation that keeps firearms out of the hands of those who should not have them. Specifically, these bills target two loopholes: 1. The background check loophole for online and gun show purchases; and 2. Disallows an individual purchasing a firearm on behalf of someone who is ineligible, often called “strawman purchases”.
Chris Cox leads much of the discussion on behalf of the NRA when it comes to gun issues. He said this: “If we want to prevent future atrocities, we must look for solutions that keep guns out of the hands of those who are a danger to themselves or others, while protecting the rights of law-abiding Americans.” I could not agree more.
I applaud our Republican Caucus’ firm support for school safety, but in keeping with Mr. Cox, the boundaries of the discussion must be stretched. We must have a more expansive dialogue than ever before.
Candidly, the bills introduced this morning are not yet ready for primetime. In fact, after receiving feedback from multiple constituents, I have already reached out to the bill author, Sen. Matt Little, and made suggestions on how we can improve this legislation to protect the rights of law abiding gun owners, like myself.
These proposals are not a destination. They represent the beginning of a journey. With collective contributions from all sides of the discussion, I’m hopeful that Minnesotans will work together in focusing on school safety, keeping guns out of the hands of those who should not have guns, enhance access to mental health services, and preserve our precious second amendment rights.
Thank you for caring,