Minnesota House Passes 2 Gun Bills: Background Checks & 'Red Flag' Law

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Two major gun bills passed in the Democrat-controlled Minnesota House Thursday evening.

Lawmakers voted 69 to 62 in favor of a background check law, and a "red flag" bill passed by 68-62 votes.

Both of the bills were passed by the Minnesota House last year, but both went nowhere in the Republican-controlled Senate.

A large group of gun control supporters were outside the chamber Thursday, demanding the House pass the measures again. One of these measures would expand background checks to online sales and gun shows.

The other would allow police to seize a person's weapon if a judge ruled they were a threat to themselves or others.

Both gun control advocates and gun control opponents are convinced they have voters on their side.

"The voters spoke and they put a gun sense majority in the House DFL, and if we're not able to move these forward, I believe that voters are going to speak again," Rep. Ruth Richardson, DFL-Mendota Heights, said.

Since this is an election year, we will see if the voters really do or do not want gun control.

"The people in Carver County are looking to me and my colleagues to preserve their Second Amendment rights, and they will come to the polls to defend their Second Amendment rights," Rep. Jim Nash, R-Assistant Minority Leader, said.

Both measures are now headed to the Republican-controlled Senate.

All 201 member of the Minnesota legislature are up for election in November.