Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park)
A top Democrat in the state Senate says the mass shootings in Orlando point to the need for background checks on all firearms purchases in Minnesota. Saint Louis Park Senator Ron Latz says universal background checks won’t catch every potential offender, but “we certainly can do a better job of screening out those who we already know do have a propensity toward violence.” Republican Representative Tony Cornish from Vernon Center responds after every high-profile assassination or mass shooting, the first thing people call for is gun control. Cornish says people instead need to address the root causes of gun violence. A universal background check bill did not pass the state legislature this session due to heavy opposition from gun rights groups. It would have prohibited someone from possessing a firearm if they have violent felony convictions, or a documented history of violent mental illness or domestic abuse.