Legalized Silencers, Other Gun Measures Head to House Floor

ST. PAUL (AP) - A handful of gun bills are ready for a final vote.

The Minnesota House was expected to take up bills Thursday that would legalize gun silencers and remove a requirement that gun permit owners notify state officials before bringing a firearm onto Capitol grounds. Other measures were also set for a vote.

It's a big change from the last time gun legislation heated up at the Capitol. Gun rights advocates successfully fought a Democrat-led move to expand background checks after the mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school in 2013.

The silencer bill generated the most discussion when a House committee passed it last month. Opponents worried silencers would aid criminals. Supporters call them suppressors and say they help reduce harmful noise for hunting and range shooting.