Shutdown Halts Mental Health Check in Gun Permitting Process

[hammAR]

Shutdown Halts Mental Health Check in Gun Permitting Process
Dakota County, others continue issuing permits
by Maury Glover / FOX 9 News

In order to carry a gun in Minnesota, a person must pass a background check -- but the Minnesota government shutdown has closed down a key safeguard in the 10-point check, even as permits continue to be issued.

Whenever someone applies for a permit to carry, county authorities check everything from their criminal history to their driving record, but they also check on the applicants mental health status. At least, they did before the government shut down.

“Basically, the worst thing you can do is take another human being’s life,” explained Joe Penaz, who teaches a class on the ins and outs of the state’s permit to carry law.

Now, Penaz said he is worried that some people who would normally be disqualified from legally carrying a gun may slip through the cracks because the Department of Health and Human Services is closed.

“We don’t want to see someone get a gun that is legally prohibited to have it,” he said.

According to state law, county sheriff’s departments have 30 days to process permit-to-carry applications, but deputies currently aren’t able to check an applicants mental health history and the permits are still being processed in Dakota and Ramsey counties. Hennepin County is holding their applications in the hopes the shutdown will end before they have to deal with the issue.


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[Dave Pendleton]

Looks like this is your window, then...

[hammAR]

Don't do windows.............only a fool would suffer fools gladly............

[gyrfalcon]

Joe Penaz... Would you rather see someone not be able to get a permit and die because they didn't have a firearm to defend themselves legally?

[mrokern]

Joe, be careful in speaking to the media if you insist on doing it. I'm guessing they only used a tiny part of what you said, but now Heather and Co. have you as an example they can point to. There's a reason you rarely see Caile, Gross, Olson, Rothman, etc. have their words twisted...

[Thunder71]

Turn it around - get a mentally ill individual with a gun (or many) and you have potential for some serious trouble. It's not the mentally stable ones who go on rampages shooting multiple people.

I do understand if you want a gun, you'll get one regardless - but why make the loophole wide open for criminals, once they have it - they have it, whether the permit gets revoked or not. We're talking permit to carry folks... potential psychos with a gun, and a permit to carry.

I'm with Joe on this one.

And now, thanks to this article - the information is out there - great idea.

[Dick Unger]

Basically, the whole "permit" process is just a feature of Gun Control. Instead of nobdy having a gun, most of us can. But we're punishing those who HAVE gotten treatment for their mental instability. And, we're assuming that the treatment really does not work, ie. people don't get well. That's wrong, everyone has some mental issues, it's like a cold. And really crasy folks are the onese who are not detered by permits anyway.

If I ws going to lose my gun rights because of treatment for a mental malady, I would not go.

Remember, the whole permit thing is just something we do to get around the folks who basically don't want anyone to carry. Not criticizing anyone, but I think we need to keep things in context. It would better if we could just carry under the Constitution, like it says we can. I think the State needs to keep issuing permits, (they will, it's done by COUNTY Sheriff) and it 30 days or automatic.

But don't tell the news media that the sky is falling and now mentally unstable folks are lining up for permits. Let the the antis say that if the want....INHO.

[traveler]

Basically, the whole "permit" process is just a feature of Gun Control. Instead of nobdy having a gun, most of us can. But we're punishing those who HAVE gotten treatment for their mental instability. And, we're assuming that the treatment really does not work, ie. people don't get well. That's wrong, everyone has some mental issues, it's like a cold. And really crasy folks are the onese who are not detered by permits anyway.

If I ws going to lose my gun rights because of treatment for a mental malady, I would not go.

Remember, the whole permit thing is just something we do to get around the folks who basically don't want anyone to carry. Not criticizing anyone, but I think we need to keep things in context. It would better if we could just carry under the Constitution, like it says we can. I think the State needs to keep issuing permits, (they will, it's done by COUNTY Sheriff) and it 30 days or automatic.

But don't tell the news media that the sky is falling and now mentally unstable folks are lining up for permits. Let the the antis say that if the want....INHO.

+100

What he said.

I do not believe that the statements by Mr. Penaz were well thought out. It might have been much better to let this bit of free publicity pass on by. I do not see how any good can come from stirring this issue.

[photogpat]

Heather and Joan are already running with this story...

[DeanC]

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[White Horseradish]

That's a really nice card to hand to the gun control crowd. Now they can point to this as proof that even our side believes gun control is necessary.

Thanks a lot, buddy.

[R.E.T.]

Who really thinks that mentally ill people are sitting around waiting for a chance to get a carry permit? They can carry without a permit and not have the hassle of getting one.

[bstrawse]

Heather and Joan are already running with this story...

Surprisingly Joan hasn't blogged about this yet (or mentioned on Twitter) -- where are they posting about this?

Thanks -
b

[photogpat]

Heather and Joan are already running with this story...

Surprisingly Joan hasn't blogged about this yet (or mentioned on Twitter) -- where are they posting about this?

Thanks -
b

I meant that speculatively (and I'm surprised too) -- I'm anticipating the email from Citizens will cross my inbox any moment now...

[Dave Pendleton]

Wouldn't you think that any sheriff receiving applications while the state is shut down (and thus the M.H. check can't be done) would just deny them?