Minnesota CCW: And the Oscar goes to the Senate DFL!

Minnesota Concealed Carry Reform, Now! ^ | 17 March, 2003 | MNCCRN

[jdege]

Repost far and wide

And the Oscar goes to the Senate DFL!

If there were an Academy Award for shooting oneself in the foot it would have to go to the DFL Pro-gun caucus of the MN Senate. The DFL Senate Caucus seems willing to do ANYTHING to avoid having any major piece of legislation pass under chief authorship of a Republican. Sen. Pariseau is understandably reluctant to relinquish chief authorship (and therefore control) of the Minnesota Personal Protection Act (MPPA). Whatever political advantage the DFL caucus had hoped to achieve by jumping on the "Shall-Issue" bandwagon with their own legislation vanishes as soon as you read their dangerous and disastrous language.

Members of the "Gang of 9" have written one of the nations worst "shall issue" bills. It is so bad that, as of Saturday it had only one author - Sen. Jim Vickerman. Vickerman was hand picked to author the Dems version of the bill because he is likely to retire at the end of this term (that tells you what the Gang of 9 thinks of their own legislation - Senator who want to run again won't even author the bill!).

CCRN attorneys have had only 24 hours to review the legislation. That quick review is as follows: - the bill is about 25% MPPA, 25% the worst of Texas law, 25% the worst of Michigan law, and 25% Sen. Sheila Kiscaden. The legislation is full of internal conflicts and contradictions, contains items that even MN law enforcement don't want, is, once you start to read the fine print, discretionary, and requires applicants to relinquish their constitutional rights for the opportunity to commit a Felony just by standing in the wrong place!

What's even scarier is that the Dems on the Senate Crime Prevention Committee will make this bill even WORSE and then pass it. Any Senate author (as well as any Senator who votes for it) will instantly become an "F" in the eyes of gun rights supporters in the next cycle (its no wonder Vickerman has been selected as the sacrificial lamb). Sen. Vickerman's personal integrity will certainly be challenged as his Metrocrat peers attempt to box him in and go against his commitment to support a REAL "Shall Issue" bill. ALL Minnesota gun owners, whether hunters, target shooters, or supporters of the Minnesota Personal Protection Act, need to put these traitors to personal liberty in their place.

Call Senator Vickerman's office Monday and tell him not to introduce this incredibly bad piece of legislation. 651-296-5650.

Then Call, write, email your state Senator today: State your name, the town where you live, and then tell them: "I support the Minnesota Personal Protection Act as written by Senator Pariseau. I will NOT support any watered down, phony look-alike bill. And I expect YOU to support Senate File 222 and ONLY Senate file 222."

The CCRN Leadership Team

[jdege]

Bang!

[butter pecan fan]

This is wholely and completely deliberate. They're playing political games with you in order to look like they're "trying," while simultaneously having ABSOLUTELY ZERO intention of passing a meaningful CCW bill. It's a run-out-the-clock strategy.

Not entirely unlike the political games Saddam Hussein has been playing for the past 12 years.

Until you get the power to force passage of a bill, you can expect the games to continue for another 12 years, another 20, the rest of your life. Part of the mix needs to be the open declaration, with lots of publicity, that the Dims are playing disingenuous political games, and are putting the lives of innocent citizens at risk by doing so.

[jdege]

Don't get too depressed.

This isn't the end-game. What we're doing is giving the Dems the rope to hang themselves with.

There are nine out-state Democrats remaining in the Senate, all of whom have voted for shall-issue carry in the past, and who remain in the Senate only because they voted for shall-issue carry in the past - and they well know it.

They can look around the Senate chamber and see the pro-gun Republicans sitting in the chairs that used to be occupied by out-state Democrats who voted against shall-issue carry.

They know they have to vote yes on this bill if they want to stay in office, no matter how much the DFL leadership wants them not to.

Normally, the leadership can threaten them, with failure of their bills, with bad committee assignments, etc., if they don't toe the line. But they've already done that. None of the remaining out-state Democrats has a meaningful committee assignment. They hold no chairs, despite their seniority, and they aren't on any of the critical committees.

The DFL Caucus in the Senate is in the middle of a rather serious melt-down. They have yet to pass a single bill, no matter how innocuous the subject. They're just closing their doors and screaming at each other.

So we expect them to try this sort of desperate trick, trying to derail the bill.

We won't let them.

[slowry]

bump

[butter pecan fan]

Don't get too depressed. This isn't the end-game. What we're doing is giving the Dems the rope to hang themselves with.

Good. Make it a strong one. Give the political-game-players heck, because they deserve it.

[jdege]

Just got back from the hearing - same old crap.

Vickerman's bill was not introduced. (From the snips of conversation I overheard, they were afraid that if they passed out a bill they liked, we'd amend it to what we liked, once we got it to the floor. Which we would, of course.)

[jdege]

Vickerman didn't introduce his bill at the hearing.

But the text is available online at:
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/cgi-bin/getbill.pl?session=ls83&version=latest&session_number=0&session_year=2003&number=sf932

I'll let you all make up your own minds.