“That’s a bunch of sh** as far as I’m concerned,” shouted one heckler in Hibbing at today’s state Senate hearing on gun bills, as Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken prepared to testify. Tusken told the committee, “Routine background checks are critical to public safety by limiting access to weapons by dangerous people.” But Dan from Hibbing told lawmakers that universal background checks or a “red flag” law won’t make an ounce of difference to criminals or terrorists. “Who it’s hurting are people, everyday, good, hard-working people,” he said.
House Democrats are pushing background check and “red flag” bills. Senate Republican leaders say those measures are going nowhere in the upcoming 2020 session.