Minnesota Moms Demand Action Applauds Introduction of Background Checks and Red Flag Legislation in the Minnesota Senate

ST. PAUL, Minn. ― The Minnesota chapter of Moms Demand for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today applauded the introduction in the Minnesota Senate of:

• SF 434, legislation sponsored by Sen. Ron Latz that would require criminal background checks on all Minnesota gun sales.
• SF 436, a Red Flag bill sponsored by Sen. Ron Latz that would allow family members and law enforcement officers to petition a court for an Extreme Risk Protection Order temporarily restricting a person’s access to firearms when there is evidence that they pose a threat to self or others.

“Across political parties, the vast majority of Minnesotans support these measures,” said Erin Zamoff, volunteer chapter leader with the Minnesota chapter of Moms Demand Action. “The legislature is catching up. Sen. Latz understands that this is about public safety, and I hope his colleagues know that constituents are watching closely.”

Earlier this month, the Minnesota House of Representatives leadership introduced background check and Red Flag bills as part of the first 10 bills introduced this session.

Polling conducted in 2018 by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune found that 9 in 10 Minnesotans support criminal background checks on all gun sales. Additional polling last year found 87 percent of Minnesotans support temporarily blocking a person from having guns if there are clear red flags.

Under current federal law, background checks are required only for gun sales by licensed firearm dealers. No background check is required for sales by unlicensed individuals, who can sell guns to strangers they meet online or at gun shows – with no background check, no questions asked, and no way to know whether the buyer is a criminal or otherwise prohibited from having guns. Minnesota is not one of the states that have enacted background check laws to address this loophole.