Submitted by Rep. Deb Kiel, Rep. John Burkel and Sen. Mark Johnson

We have seen numerous harmful Democrat bills moving at lighting speed this legislative session, but among the most alarming are a series of gun control bills that go far beyond what we've seen in recent years.

Two of the DFL's highest priorities this session include bills that close so-called "loopholes" using background checks and "red flag" reporting. House File (HF) 14 would require all private transfers of firearms to include a background check and imposes burdensome recordkeeping requirements backed up by a criminal penalty if those records are lost or destroyed, even up to 20 years later.

The DFL's "red flag law", HF 15, would allow courts to prohibit people from possessing firearms if anyone on a long list of people reports that the person could be a significant danger to themselves or others.

On top of their two priority gun control bills, the DFL has also been holding hearings on other bills that would burden lawful gun owners unnecessarily. Recently, Democrats on the House Public Safety Committee passed HF 396 and HF 601. The first bill imposes burdensome requirements on how gun owners are allowed to store their guns, including a requirement that guns be stored unloaded and in a separate safe from their ammunition, and establishes criminal penalties if these requirements are not followed. The second establishes a duty to report a stolen or lost firearm to law enforcement within 48 hours, and establishes criminal penalties for a failure to report within that time frame.

Our Second Amendment rights are on the line and your voices are needed in St. Paul. We want to thank all those who have spoken up in defense of the Second Amendment so far, including a number of local sheriffs and law enforcement, as well as others from across the state.