Minnesota Legislature set to approve public safety package with 2 major gun control measures
UPDATE: The Minnesota House passed the public safety package early Tuesday. It will now head to Gov. Tim Walz's desk. Original story is below.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota House is on track Monday to send a big public safety package to Gov. Tim Walz's desk for his signature.
It includes two gun regulations that advocates have been pushing for – for years
This package includes an $880 million increase in funding for the court system, violence prevention measures, the Department of Corrections, and much more.
There's retention bonuses for law enforcement and also stiffer penalties for fentanyl dealers to crack down on a crisis.
RELATED: As Minnesota nears historic change to gun laws, gun owners and victims of gun violence sound off
But there's been a lot of attention on two gun measures years in the making: expanded background checks and a red flag law.
A criminal background check will be required for private gun transfers, not just purchases made at a federally-licensed firearm dealer.
The "red flag" law would allow a court to issue an extreme risk protection order, which would suspend someone's access to guns if determined to be a danger to themselves or others. A family member or law enforcement can make that petition.
"I'm going to be thinking of the mothers who lost children to gun violence and all of the moms fighting to protect their children from the uniquely American problem of gun violence, the leading cause of death for children and adolescents," said Rep. Kelly Moller, DFL-Shoreview. "I'm going to be thinking of them when I vote for this bill. I'm going to be thinking of them when I vote for this conference committee report."
Opponents of the measure say the proposals infringe on the rights of law-abiding gun owners and anticipate constitutional challenges.
The House has passed these bills before, but the big question mark was clearing the Senate.
A couple of DFL members have been on the fence for much of the session, but they ultimately came around and that chamber gave the bill the OK on Friday.