Expected spirited debate tonight when a committee in the Democrat-controlled Minnesota House takes up two controversial gun control bills. One would require background checks on most private sales or transfers of firearms, including long guns, and a firearm couldn’t be transferred to anyone under age 21. The current minimum age is 18. A second bill would allow law enforcement or family members to ask a judge to prohibit someone from possessing a firearm if they’re a danger to themselves or others. Regardless of what happens in the House, Republican leaders have indicated the bills have no chance of passing the Minnesota Senate.
Also at the Capitol today, there’s a hearing in the Senate on a bill that would increase licensing fees on manufacturers and distributors of opioids, with money going to combat the prescription drug abuse crisis in Minnesota. And the House has a hearing on a bill that would prohibit employers from asking in job interviews about an applicant’s past wages. Backers say such questions have contributed to women receiving lower pay on average than men.