NRA Praises 'Pro-Gun' Proposal That Could Impact Minn. Elections

SAINT PAUL, MN — The National Rifle Association is praising the Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee for approving a "pro-gun" amendment to House File 3502 late last month. The amendment requires the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to provide a link to the state's voter registration website to anyone who purchases a hunting, fishing, or trapping license online.

Here's how the language in the bill currently reads:

Sec. 23. [97A.409] VOTER REGISTRATION INFORMATION.

(a) On the Department of Natural Resources online license sales Web site for purchasing a resident license to hunt or fish that is required under the game and fish laws, the commissioner must include the voter registration eligibility requirements and a description of how to register to vote before or on election day. On the Web page where an individual has the option to print a license to hunt or fish, the commissioner must include a direct link to the secretary of state's online voter registration Web page.

(b) In the printed and digital versions of fishing regulations and hunting and trapping regulations, the commissioner must include the voter registration eligibility requirements, a description of how to register to vote before or on election day, and a link to the secretary of state's online voter registration Web page. In addition, the commissioner must include a voter registration application in the printed and digital versions of fishing regulations and hunting and trapping regulations.

(c) The secretary of state must provide the required voter registration information to the commissioner. The secretary of state must prepare and approve an alternate form of the voter registration application to be used in the regulations.

The gun rights group thanked Speaker Kurt Daudt for supporting the "Hunter Voter legislation."

The NRA also praised the Minnesota Senate for voting down two gun control amendments.

• One amendment would have required criminal background checks for all gun sales.
• Another would have allowed law enforcement and family members to petition a court to prohibit a specific person from possessing guns if they pose a significant danger to themselves or others. Otherwise known as a gun violence protective order.

The group thanked "NRA members and Second Amendment supporters who contacted their lawmakers in opposition to these anti-gun measures."

Image via Shutterstock / Frontpage