Posted 5/9/01 Three strikes, youíre out! To the editor: Do you remember ìStrike One?î That was when our State Senator Twyla Ring voted against allowing the ìMinnesota Citizens Personal Protection Act of 2001î to come to the floor of the Senate, while claiming publicly to be for the bill. ìStrike Twoî was recently found in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Pioneer Planet Section, on Thursday May 3, 2001. Senator Ring is still publicly advocating for MCPPA, and then in reality doing quite the contrary. The gist of the Pioneer Planet article written by Jim Ragsdale, is that Senator Ring and a small group of anti-gun DFLíers staged a ìno showî boycott of the State Senate Finance Committee. On this last Wednesday May 2, 2001 this committee had planned to act on a bill, which would make it more fair for law-abiding citizens to obtain permits allowing them to carry concealed firearms in public. The boycotted absence from the meeting by this tiny group of senators including our Senator Ring made it impossible to have a quorum (majority) of the 37 set being brought tot he floor once again. The law currently restricts a permit to be issued only to those people who can show an occupational need, or specific public safety threat, thus giving enormous discriminating power to those few enforcement personnel who issue the permits. Some people have applied for a permit fearing for their safety. They have been denied, then hurt or even killed because they could not protect themselves. This arbitrary enforcement power is wrong and has actually killed innocent people. This same act, after many debates, has already passed the House of Representatives. It passed by nearly a two to one margin, and now absolutely needs to pass the Senate. A few of my questions would be: 1. Arenít state senators, who are employed by the public, suppose to attend these meetings and make decisions, not hideout in an anti-gun senatorsí office down the hall from the committee meeting? 2. Isnít this bogus boycott procedure actually legislation by default? This deceitful back room procedure issue bothers me! Even worse, I believe Senator Ring should be up-front with us and admit that she is in fact against this bill. She is currently purporting to be all for this bill in public, then in actuality, opposes it at every opportunity behind closed doors, with misuse of ìcorrect procedure.î Let me see now, wasnít it ìcorrect procedureî that Ms. Ring claimed she wanted to protect? When election rolls around, letís make this ìStrike Threeî youíre out! Bruce Nelson Pine City ©Post Review