Glimpse of bipartisanship dashed as controversial gun control measures are packaged with Republican proposals to toughen penalties for gun crimes

The Senate passed controversial gun legislation this week on a party-line vote. The bill increased the penalties for those who act as a straw purchaser by buying a gun for someone who legally can’t have one. However, it also turns law-abiding gun owners into criminals with a controversial binary trigger ban. Notably, it did not include a third provision for safe storage requirements, which have been criticized as unworkable and potentially dangerous in the case of emergencies.

“There was bipartisan agreement available today, but Democrats choose to be partisan and political with the trigger ban, something that will turn law-abiding gun owners into criminals overnight,” Senator Robert Farnsworth (R-Hibbing) said. “Rather than work with Republicans to find agreement, they continue to rely on a charged felon to cast the deciding vote on these controversial policies.”

Senate Republicans offered an amendment to find bipartisanship on the straw purchaser penalties and make it clear that a buyer’s knowledge they were doing something wrong must be proven. Gun advocates are concerned the current language makes innocent parties responsible for someone else’s actions without them knowing their history. The amendment also removed the trigger ban to keep the focus on criminals, not guns. Democrats voted against the clarifying language and left the binary trigger ban in the bill.

Farnsworth voted for a successful amendment to the bill that increases the penalty on straw purchasers if the person they give the gun to uses it to assault or cause harm to a public safety officer. “Right now, law enforcement needs all the support they can get from our elected leaders,” Farnsworth said. “I supported this amendment to honor our peace officers and recognize the risk they take each day is worth a higher criminal penalty in certain cases.”

“A clean bill increasing penalties for straw purchases has broad, bipartisan support, because any gun is dangerous in the hands of the wrong person. Unfortunately, this bill also targets certain guns, rather than targeting bad actors and criminals. I absolutely support tougher penalties for gun crimes but could not support the final bill,” he concluded.