Sheriff Endorses Legislation to Reduce Gun Violence
Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek joined lawmakers and Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association at the Capitol Wednesday.
Editor's Note: The following is a Hennepin County Sheriff's Office press release.
Wednesday, Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek and the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association announced support for state legislation that would improve public safety by strengthening gun background checks and increasing punishments for repeat offenders.
Sheriff Stanek and Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Jim Franklin joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers at the State Capitol in St. Paul to support the legislation authored by State Representative Debra Hilstrom of Brooklyn Center.
The proposal would improve data sharing by providing the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) with the most current, accurate and complete information on individuals that are ineligible from possessing firearms due to civil commitments for mental illness or certain felony convictions. It would tighten gaps in existing law by providing real timelines by which data must be entered into the system. This is a reform that Sheriff Stanek and the Minnesota Sheriffs’ Association had urged state lawmakers to address in January.
“A background check is only as good as the data that is put into the system and we need complete, timely information about people who are ineligible to possess a firearm,” said Sheriff Stanek, “When a court deems a person mentally ill and dangerous to oneself and others, that person should not have access to a gun.”
The proposed reforms also include the following: tougher penalties and mandatory minimum sentences on violent felons who possess guns illegally, prohibit felons from possessing ammunition, stronger penalties for straw purchasers, and felony penalties for people engaging in repeated false reports of lost or stolen firearms.
“This bill is the only bill that protects second amendment rights while including a critical provision to strengthen existing background checks,” said Sheriff Stanek.
Jonathan Dough
9:45 am on Thursday, March 7, 2013
I knew it would only be a matter of time till Sheriff Stanek made a push to confiscate guns from law-abiding citizens. Sorry Sheriff Stanek you aint getting my guns. Not today, not tomorrow, NOT EVER.
Tom Olson
3:20 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013
Well Mr, Dough, with a statement that strong, I would think you would be man enough to use your own name. I am 100% in support of the Second Ammendment and will never give up my guns either. I read this article 3 times and could find nothing that stated that Sherrif Stanek supports anything but a strong background check system. Maybe you should re-read the article. So, calm down, unchain the door, and maybe work with the people that want to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. I hope you don't have knee jerk reactions with your guns like you do with things like this cowardly post you wrote.
Jonathan Dough
5:20 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013
Tommy My Boy. No one informed me that you were appointed "King of the Patch." Now I know. Ya know Tommy, using your real name on these boards is a bit risky. I own more than 100 guns. I just don't advertise that to the general public. An identity search might show that I live at a house address of 3509 or 5358 or some such number. Tommy, a background check is not fool proof. Tommy, politicians tend to expand on their power. Tommy, do you remember when the Federal Income Tax was a temporary tax? Tommy, the insults that you directed at me are misguided and petty.
B_Schiff
6:36 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013
I believe in an unseen God. Am I mentally ill? Will I be denied a gun because I "hallucinate" or commit a 'hate crime' by saying Jesus is the way to salvation...?
Think about where this might take us...
rob_h78
5:25 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
You'll want to provide more information on yourself to help us judge your mental status.
Simply believing in some type of deity is itself not enough information...
Jonathan Dough
7:10 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013
You have hit the nail on the head B Schiff. A politician could do a background check on me and they might find that I have not voted for a Dem candidate since 1972 (George McGovern.) Someone like Obama or Dayton could then deem I was nuts and deny my permit to own a gun. This has happened before. In Nazi Germany.
rob_h78
5:26 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
People were denied gun permits in Nazi Germany for not voting for Democrats?
I think the paranoia is more of a concern then your voting record.
yomammy
7:19 am on Friday, March 8, 2013
oh thank god. I am glad the criminals will have to get a background check when they buy guns....oh wait...
rob_h78
5:24 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
Agreed - and we should scrap all laws that criminals do not follow!!!
Jonathan Dough
8:49 pm on Friday, March 8, 2013
Yo robbie My Boy. Hitler took all guns away from people who did NOT support his ungodly cause. And you don't think the same thing could not happen here? Wake up robbie. Your Constitutional Rights are eroding right in front of your eyes and you bury your head in the sand. God help us.
rob_h78
11:52 am on Monday, March 11, 2013
The old "Hitler" reference... What "Constitutional Rights" are eroding before our eyes?
Regarding Germany - it was the government BEFORE Hitler that enacted strong gun controls - Hitler actually eased he restrictions on private gun ownership.
Further Hitler was extremely popular in Germany - he had no need to take guns away - in fact he was putting guns into German hands as quickly as they could be made as he was preparing to go to all out war.
And besides no one is going after all guns - on the contrary - the vast majority of guns would remain legal under any of the changes being really discussed.
Further - there is no absolute right to all guns - even Conservative Supreme Court Justice Scalia has acknowledged this in prior decisions.
Mike B.
1:36 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2013
Mr. Dough, your original post was in fact right "on the money." My concern is that Sheriff Stanek is following the playbook of Mayor Emmanuel and his Democrat acolytes in Chicago, who have taken guns out of the hands of the law-abiding citizens. As a result, the law-abiding people of Chicago are cowering in fear, as the bad guys now have the run of the city, with crime and violence at an all time high.
And you are wise to ignore the comments of the person who claims to be a Mr. Olsen, who, following the liberal playbook, uses personal attacks instead of reasoned analysis.