Posted 4/25/01 Senators Lourey & Ring vote against personal protection To the editor: On April 11 a procedural vote was attempted in the State Senate. Senator Pat Pariseau made a motion to bring the Minnesota Citizens Personal Protection Act (MCPPA) to the Senate floor. There is a procedural rule (Rule 5.1) that allows the Senate to call a bill directly to the floor for consideration by the full Senate. In exercising this rule a bill bypasses all committees. This rule required 34 votes, a simple majority, but was defeated with the help of Senators Lourey (SD08) and Ring (SD18). This was unfortunate, as the MCPPA is an excellent bill addressing the discriminatory disparities in the current concealed carry law. The House bill was passed by a large majority (85 to 46 with 3 abstentions), and Governor Ventura has announced that he will sign it if it gets to his desk. The current law is arbitrary and discriminatory. It allows the granting authority the option to approve or deny a permit based on nothing more than the personal whims of that authority. That authority, is currently over 1000 police chiefs and sheriffs. MCPPA would reduce that to the 87 county sheriffs and require they grant a permit if the applicant complies with all of the criteria and the background check, for the permit. Under the current law the age is 18. MCPPA changes that to 21. Current law only requires a hunters safety certificate. MCPPA requires extensive training in law and theory of ìdeadly forceî and knowledge of safety and use of the firearm. MCPPA actually tightens up the permit requirements while eliminating the unfair arbitrariness of the current law. An example of how unfair the current law is: John Doe has lived in Outstate county for 30 years. For the last 10 years he has had a concealed carry permit. John moves to Minneapolis to take a better job. He moves into a neighborhood that experiences high crime. John Doe goes to the Minneapolis Police Department to apply for a carry permit and is notified that he is denied. John Doe is the same person, the only thing that has changed is his residence. He is actually in a more likely situation that he may need the carry permit yet he is denied, simply because the granting authority has a policy of not granting permits. This is unfair, it s arbitrary, and it is discrimination. MCPPA fixes this, while tightening up other areas of the current law. MCPPA is good legislation. So why would Senators Lourey and Ring vote against Rule 5.1 to bring it to a floor vote? I believe it is the iron fist with which Senate Majority leader Roger Moe rules with. Senator Moe does not want this bill to pass, even though it has the support rank and file law enforcement and very likely the majority of voters. And what Senator Moe wants, Senator Moe gets, when it comes to his caucus. My hope is, should the MCPPA find its way to the Senate floor for a vote, that Senators Lourey and Ring, will have heard from enough of their constituents that they should vote for MCPPA, and that Senators Lourey and Ring do just that. Senators Lourey and Ring, MCPPA is good legislation. If it comes before you again, PASS IT! Scott Martin Hinckley ©Post Review