Republican Majority Leader Paul Gazelka says the Minnesota Senate will have hearings on criminal background check and “red flag” gun bills — if the Democrat-controlled House passes them first. “We’re saying to the House, well, show us that you can actually pass these bills and that there’s actually bipartisan support. We don’t think there is,” Gazelka says.
House Democratic Majority Leader Ryan Winkler responds, “If Republicans want to have hearings on gun violence prevention for the sake of demonstrating how much they oppose it, I don’t think it’s helpful. If they are having a hearing to… find out if there’s any common ground, then I think we could see that as a very encouraging sign.”