Gun bills tabled again after effort to revive them

Two gun bills failed to move forward in the Minnesota House after the bills’ author attempted to resurrect them in a committee meeting Tuesday.

Representative Dave Pinto (DFL-St. Paul) tried convincing the Public Safety Committee to reconsider his bills on universal background checks and gun violence protection orders, but the effort failed. 

“I certainly had heard that from a number of individual Republicans that these are provisions that they support and it's just a matter the committee was going to follow through on that,” said Rep. Pinto. “So, I guess I wasn't that surprised, but I certainly I was disappointed."  

A number of lawmakers met with Senator Warren Limmer on Monday who is not allowing a hearing on any gun control bills in his judiciary committee. Students later disrupted the committee trying to force a vote. Governor Mark Dayton said he supports the students.

"They have a right to be concerned,” said Dayton. “They have a right to be alarmed and fearful for their safety because this could happen anywhere.”  

For now, many of these students are not giving up.

“I feel like we will be able to get this bill passed and I feel like eventually it will make a big difference and it needs to happen now," said Selene Posey, a student at St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Arts.

The group of students told Fox 9 they will be back on Thursday, which is a critical day as all policy bills have to pass at least one committee in order to survive the rest the session.