Senate Brushes Aside Bills Aimed at Gun Violence

ST. PAUL (AP) -- The Minnesota Senate has swept aside an effort to force votes on two measures aimed at toughening state gun laws.

Sen. Ron Latz, a St. Louis Park Democrat, offered the bills as amendments during a broader debate on the state's budget. But a majority of senators -- a mix of Republicans and rural Democrats -- voted that the bills weren't relevant to the budget issue, effectively killing them.

One bill would expand background checks by making all gun buyers apply for permits for handguns and semi-automatic rifles. Another would allow courts to temporarily remove a person's gun access if they're a danger to themselves or others.

Latz's move came just a day after a state House member staged a 24-hour sit-in
over that chamber's inaction on measures aimed at gun violence.