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Brandt Williams
St. Paul, Minn.

2 gun bills set for commttee hearings Thursday

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Two bills dealing with gun restrictions are expected to draw a lot of public attention when they're discussed at the Capitol on Thursday in committee hearings.

One would create new rules for people who want to carry a handgun in the Capitol and other state buildings. Another would expand current law to prohibit people convicted of stalking and other crimes from possessing long guns, not just pistols.

Sen. Ron Latz, D-St. Louis Park, is the chief sponsor of the bill. He says his main concern is making sure guns can be kept away from people who pose credible threats to their partners.

"The fact is, there's a study in 2010 by the Journal of Injury Prevention that showed that state laws restricting access to firearms for those under domestic violence restraining orders were associated with a 25 percent reduction in intimate partner gun deaths," he said.

Opponents say if passed into law, some gun owners could lose their constitutional rights due to protective orders, which don't require the same standard of proof as criminal court rulings.

Andrew Rothman, president of the Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance, said the other bill related to carrying firearms in the Capitol isn't necessary.

"What we have is a 20-year-history of absolutely no problems with permit holders at the Capitol. The Department of Public Safety testified to that effect this summer. So really, this is a solution in search of a problem," he said.