Minnesota –-(Ammoland.com)- The Minnesota Senate is scheduled to vote on House File 1467 this Thursday, February 23.
HF 1467 has been one of the NRA’s top legislative priorities since its introduction last year and was recently passed in the Senate Finance Committee by a 10 to 5 vote. This important legislation, sponsored by state Senator Gretchen Hoffman (R-10) and state Representative Tony Cornish (R-24B), is expected to face a close vote and your support is needed if we want to pass important pro-gun reforms.
Because a Senate vote is scheduled for this Thursday, opponents and anti-gun forces are using every means possible – including major news conferences at the Capitol – to keep HF 1467 from passing and becoming law, so it is imperative that you contact your state Senator today and urge him or her to support HF 1467. Also, forward this alert to your family, friends and fellow gun owners, and urge them to contact their state Senator in support of HF 1467.
HF 1467 contains three important firearm policy improvements:
Stand Your Ground:
HF 1467 would remove a person’s “duty to retreat” from an attacker, allowing law-abiding citizens to stand their ground and protect themselves or their family anywhere they are lawfully present. It would create a presumption that an individual who forcefully or stealthily enters or attempts to enter your home or vehicle is there to cause substantial or great bodily injury or death, so the occupant may use force, including deadly force, against that individual. It would also expressly allow an individual to use force, including deadly force, to prevent a forcible felony, and it provides protections against criminal prosecution when justifiable force is used.
Universal Recognition:
Currently, Minnesota has reciprocal agreements with only fifteen states and 23 states recognize Minnesota’s permit to carry. Unfortunately, Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety has not sought out any additional reciprocity agreements. By adding our proposed language, Minnesota will recognize every state that offers a carry permit and drastically improve Minnesotans’ abilities to carry for self-defense in other states. This legislation would also require Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety to enter in to reciprocity agreements.
Emergency Powers Reform:
This legislation would prohibit any government agency from confiscating or regulating the lawful possession, carrying, transfer, transportation and defensive use of firearms or ammunition during a state of emergency, such as occurred in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana.
About NRA-ILA
Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the “lobbying” arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Visit: www.nra.org
The bill passed yesterday, but must go back to the House for some minor changes (where it passed by a good margin) and then to Governor Dayton for signature.