Hearing 05/04/11 on gun rights omnibus bill - we need you

[plblark]

Support the Defense of Dwelling and Person Act of 2011

The Defense of Dwelling and Person Act of 2011 (the gun rights omnibus bill) is continuing to move through the legislature, and we need you to keep the pressure on legislators.

Senator Gretchen Hoffman (R-10) has introduced SF1357, the Senate companion to HF1467. It will be heard in the Senate's Public Safety committee this week.

Here's how you can help get this important piece of legislation passed:

1. Please contact the members of the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, and urge them to support this bill. Their contact info is at the end of this message.
2. Write your own Senator and Representative, and ask them to vote YES on HF1467/SF1357. Find who represents you here, add them to your email address book, and put them on speed dial: http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/districtfinder.asp
3. Attend the House hearing tomorrow at 8:15 in Room 10 of the State Office Building. We need a big showing, again, to show our support for the bill.
4. Attend the Senate hearing later this week (we'll let you know the moment it's scheduled). You sent a loud message to the legislators by packing the room during the House Public Safety Policy and Finance hearing. We need you to send the same message to the Senate.


HF1467/SF1357 Summary
HF1467/SF1357, the Defense of Dwelling and Person Act of 2011, brings “Stand Your Ground” protections to Minnesota, restores the presumption that a person using self defense is innocent until proven guilty, enhances Castle Doctrine, prevents the state from seizing guns during an emergency (remember Hurricane Katrina?), extends purchase permits to five years, improves carry reciprocity with other states and requires the government to do its job to serve law-abiding citizens

The full text of the bill can be found here: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S1357.0.html&session=ls87

Here's some more detail:

Adds Stand Your Ground
SF1357 brings “Stand Your Ground” protections to Minnesota, removing the requirement that an intended victim of violent crime must retreat from a place where he has a right to be before using deadly force in self defense.

Enhances Castle Doctrine
The bill also strengthens Minnesota’s “Castle Doctrine,” clarifying when and under what circumstances individuals can legally use deadly force to protect themselves in their homes and vehicles. In addition, it creates a presumption that, when faced with an apparent home invasion, carjacking or kidnapping attempt, a person may use deadly force in self defense.

Prevents Gun Seizures During a State of Emergency
Taking a lesson from the problems in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the bill also bans government agencies from seizing guns or ammo, revoking permits to purchase or carry, closing gun shops, or otherwise suspending our constitutional rights during a civil emergency -- or at any other time. It also prohibits law enforcement officers from seizing a person’s gun, unless the person is arrested, or the gun is evidence of a crime.

Extends Purchase Permits to Five Years
The bill also extends the validity of handgun purchase permits from one to five years, adds an annual background check for people holding those five-year permits. It requires the Minnesota Department of Human Services and state courts to make their background check records available electronically to authorized agencies, including the National Instant Background Check system (NICS) -- a process that was supposed to have been in place 16 years ago! This should reduce purchasing delays as well as ensuring that state and federal checks produce the same results.

The bill also borrows a page from the Permit to Carry law, providing a more robust appeal process for denied purchase permits, and requiring that police chiefs and sheriffs whose purchase permit denials are overturned must pay the applicants’ legal costs.

Adds Universal Carry Permit Acceptance
Of particular interest to carry permit holders, the final article of the bill updates our carry permit reciprocity standards, allowing people holding carry permits from any other state to carry in Minnesota (under Minnesota law, of course). This should result in a large increase in the number of states where Minnesota permit holders can carry, since many states allow other states’ permit holders to carry on a reciprocal basis.

Please contact Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee members and ask them to vote YES on SF1357:

Warren Limmer – (R-32) Chairman
651-296-2159
sen.warren.limmer@senate.mn

Scott J. Newman – (R-18) Vice Chairman
651-296-4131
sen.scott.newman@senate.mn
Newman is a co-author of this bill.

Ron Latz – (DFL-44) Ranking Minority
651.297.8065
sen.ron.latz@senate.mn

Barb Goodwin – (DFL-50)
651-296-4334
sen.barb.goodwin@senate.mn

Dan D. Hall – (R-40)
651-296-5975
sen.dan.hall@senate.mn

John M. Harrington – (DFL-67)
651-296-5285
sen.john.harrington@senate.mn

Gretchen M. Hoffman – (R-10)
651-296-5655
sen.gretchen.hoffman@senate.mn
Hoffman is the chief author of this bill.

Bill Ingebrigtsen – (R-11)
651-297-8063
sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn
Ingebrigtsen is a co-author of this bill.

Michael J. Jungbauer – (R-48)
651-296-3733
sen.mike.jungbauer@senate.mn

John Marty – (DFL-54)
651-296-5645
sen.john.marty@senate.mn

Mary Jo McGuire – (DFL-66)
651-296-5537
sen.maryjo.mcguire@senate.mn

Julianne E. Ortman – (R-34)
651-296-4837
sen.julianne.ortman@senate.mn

Dave Thompson – (R-36)
651-296-5252
sen.dave.thompson@senate.mn

You can email them all at once by pasting this list into your email client:
sen.warren.limmer@senate.mn; sen.scott.newman@senate.mn; sen.ron.latz@senate.mn; sen.barb.goodwin@senate.mn; sen.dan.hall@senate.mn; sen.john.harrington@senate.mn; sen.gretchen.hoffman@senate.mn; sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn; sen.mike.jungbauer@senate.mn; sen.john.marty@senate.mn; sen.maryjo.mcguire@senate.mn; sen.julianne.ortman@senate.mn; sen.dave.thompson@senate.mn

Need that with commas instead? No problem!
sen.warren.limmer@senate.mn, sen.scott.newman@senate.mn, sen.ron.latz@senate.mn, sen.barb.goodwin@senate.mn, sen.dan.hall@senate.mn, sen.john.harrington@senate.mn, sen.gretchen.hoffman@senate.mn, sen.bill.ingebrigtsen@senate.mn, sen.mike.jungbauer@senate.mn, sen.john.marty@senate.mn, sen.maryjo.mcguire@senate.mn, sen.julianne.ortman@senate.mn, sen.dave.thompson@senate.mn

Please contact House Judiciary Committee members and ask them to vote YES on HF1467:

Steve Smith (R-33A) Chairman
651-296-9188
rep.steve.smith@house.mn
Smith is a co-author of HF1467, and voted for it in the Public Safety committee. Thank him for his vote and encourage him to do the same in the Judiciary Committee

Ron Shimanski (R-18A) Vice Chairman
651-296-1534
rep.ron.shimanski@house.mn
Shimanski is a co-author of HF1467. Tell him thanks!

Sheldon Johnson (DFL-67B) DFL Leadership
651-296-4201
rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn
Johnson voted against HF1467 in the Public Safety committee. Urge him to vote YES for civil rights!

Diane Anderson (R-38A)
651-296-3533
rep.diane.anderson@house.mn

Bobby Joe Champion (DFL-58B)
651-296-8659
rep.bobby.champion@house.mn

Tony Cornish (R-24B)
651-296-4240
rep.tony.cornish@house.mn
Cornish is the chief author of HF1467. Tell him thanks!

Glenn Gruenhagen (R-25A)
651-296-4229
rep.glenn.gruenhagen@house.mn
Gruenhagen voted for HF1467 in the Public Safety committee. Thank him for his vote and encourage him to do the same in the Judiciary Committee.

Debra Hilstrom (DFL-46B)
651-296-3709
rep.debra.hilstrom@house.mn

John Kriesel (R-57A)
651-296-4342
rep.john.kriesel@house.mn
Kriesel voted for HF1467 in the Public Safety committee. Thank him for his vote and encourage him to do the same in the Judiciary Committee.

Carolyn Laine (DFL-50A)
651-296-4331
rep.carolyn.laine@house.mn

John Lesch (DFL-66A)
651-296-4224
rep.john.lesch@house.mn

Tina Liebling (DFL-30A)
651-296-0573
rep.tina.liebling@house.mn

Pat Mazorol (R-41B)
651-296-7803
rep.pat.mazorol@house.mn

Carly Melin (DFL-5B)
651-296-0172
rep.carly.melin@house.mn

Joe Schomacker (R-22A)
651-296-5505
rep.joe.schomacker@house.mn

Bruce Vogel (R-13B)
651-296-6206
rep.bruce.vogel@house.mn
Vogel is a co-author of HF1467. Tell him thanks!

Doug Wardlow (R-38B)
651-296-4128
rep.doug.wardlow@house.mn
Wardlow is a co-author of HF1467. Tell him thanks!


You can email them all at once by pasting this list into your email client:
rep.steve.smith@house.mn; rep.ron.shimanski@house.mn; rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn; rep.diane.anderson@house.mn; rep.bobby.champion@house.mn; rep.tony.cornish@house.mn; rep.glenn.gruenhagen@house.mn; rep.debra.hilstrom@house.mn; rep.john.kriesel@house.mn; rep.carolyn.laine@house.mn; rep.john.lesch@house.mn; rep.tina.liebling@house.mn; rep.pat.mazorol@house.mn; rep.carly.melin@house.mn; rep.joe.schomacker@house.mn; rep.bruce.vogel@house.mn; rep.doug.wardlow@house.mn

Need that with commas instead? No problem!
rep.steve.smith@house.mn, rep.ron.shimanski@house.mn, rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn, rep.diane.anderson@house.mn, rep.bobby.champion@house.mn, rep.tony.cornish@house.mn, rep.glenn.gruenhagen@house.mn, rep.debra.hilstrom@house.mn, rep.john.kriesel@house.mn, rep.carolyn.laine@house.mn, rep.john.lesch@house.mn, rep.tina.liebling@house.mn, rep.pat.mazorol@house.mn, rep.carly.melin@house.mn, rep.joe.schomacker@house.mn, rep.bruce.vogel@house.mn, rep.doug.wardlow@house.mn

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P. O. Box 131254
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[JJ]

You will get failure notices from the following Senators:

John Marty
Barb Goodwin
Mary Jo McGuire

[Andrew Rothman]

You will get failure notices from the following Senators:

John Marty
Barb Goodwin
Mary Jo McGuire

Isn't it funny that 95% of the Minnesota politicians that disable direct email contact are DFLers?

[macphisto]

Andrew, you misspelled sad.

[JJ]

Isn't it funny that 95% of the Minnesota politicians that disable direct email contact are DFLers?

Funny how that works out

[plblark]

Please note another function of the bill which I quote from the House Research Summary

"It reverses the burden of proof in cases of self defense, from the defender having to prove his or her innocence, to the prosecution having to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the person did not act lawfully in self defense."

[DanM]

Can't attend the hearing tomorrow, so I contacted them all including my state representative and senator.

[plblark]

Thank you.

[Thunder71]

Email sent, hopefully they see them in time. I should just start putting 'Please support bill XXXXX' in the subject line to save them time.

[plblark]

Thank you.

Here's what I sent ... It's probably a little wordy

Subject: Please Vote FOR Civil Rights. Support HF 1467

I am writing you today to urge you to vote YES on HF1467

A vote for this bill is a vote FOR civil rights, because self defense IS a civil right. You have heard a lot of over-the-top and fanciful testimony in the past and in committee last week including Ms. Maarten's incredible assertion that gun owners want to just stick their guns out the window and shoot.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. The last thing that any law-abiding person wants is to be FORCED to defend themself with force. But it sure beats the options of begging and praying the violent aggressor will just go away.

Among many important clarifications in this bill, the two most important elements are:

1) It restores the presumption that even when acting in self defense, a person is Innocent until PROVEN guilty.

Under current law, Self Defense is an affirmative defense; effectively, the defender is GUILTY until PROVEN innocent. That's not how American law is supposed to work. It's certainly not how it works for the violent aggressors, home invaders, gang members and rapists. THEY are protected by "innocent until proven guilty." Shouldn't the law-abiding VICTIMS be afforded the same privileges and rights?

2) It clarifies and expands the definition of "dwelling."

Minnesota does have a decent defense-of-dwelling law, but unfortunately, "dwelling" is far too narrowly defined. If you talk to security experts, they will tell you that your highest risk of attack is in times of transition, such as walking from your car to your house, or to get the mail or take out the trash.

Why should I -- or my wife -- be in more legal jeopardy or under more handicaps in defending ourselves from a forcible felony, just because we're attacked on our own property in one of these circumstances? Let's stop hamstringing the law-abiding and giving every advantage to the criminals.


Once again, PLEASE vote for Civil Rights. Please vote YES on HF1467.

[Hammer99...]

Isn't it funny that 95% of the Minnesota politicians that disable direct email contact are DFLers?

Interestingly Debra Hilstrom actually replied to me. It's interesting to me because I have sent a few of these e-mail off and have never received a reply. I have to give this DFL'r a little credit...

[plblark]

she loves you more than me apparently because I sent mine out a couple hours ago and haven't received a reply yet

[Thunder71]

I got a couple auto replies, that's about it.

Something to the tune of:

Many of the emails sent to me come from people around the state. My policy is to give residents of my district the highest priority. If you are a resident of my district, please include your postal address in your email. If you have not done so, I encourage you to send your message again and include your home address.

[Hammer99...]

she loves you more than me apparently because I sent mine out a couple hours ago and haven't received a reply yet

I'm not even in her district....

[solidgun]

I sent this out when I got the NRA notice. But thanks for making it so much easier for people to send in by email. I got some responses from the leaders of this bill, but no responses from those against other than their priority is to those that reside in their district.