Defense of Dwelling and Person Act Ready for Floor Vote!

GOCRA E-Blast

It’s time for the House and Senate to vote for our rights!

The Defense of Dwelling and Person Act of 2011 has passed through the House and Senate committees and is ready to be voted on in both chambers.

The session is almost over; these bills need to come to the House and Senate floors for a vote NOW!

Please take a few moments TODAY to let the Minnesota Legislature know that this bill is important to you.

Make sure to tell them that we have supported them, and they need to support us and our rights.

1. Email the House and Senate leadership and urge them to move this bill to the floornow. Contact information can be found at the end of this message.
2. Call the Senate Majority leader and ask her to get SF1357 to the floor now.
   Amy Koch (R-19), Majority Leader
   (651) 296-5981
3. Call the Speaker of the House and ask him to get HF 1467 to the floor now.
   Kurt Zellers (R-32B), Speaker of the House
   (651) 296-5502
4. Write your own Senator and Representative, and ask them to vote YES on HF1467/SF1357.  Find who represents you here, put them on speed dial, and add them to your email address book:
   http://www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/districtfinder.asp

Thank you for your help in fighting for your civil rights.

Defense of Dwelling and Person Act of 2011 Summary

HF1467/SF1357, the Defense of Dwelling and Person Act of 2011, brings “Stand Your Ground” protections to Minnesota, restores the presumption that a person using self defense is innocent until proven guilty, enhances Castle Doctrine, prevents the state from seizing guns during an emergency (remember Hurricane Katrina?), improves carry reciprocity with other states and requires the government to do its job to serve law-abiding citizens.

Adds Stand Your Ground
SF1357 brings “Stand Your Ground” protections to Minnesota, removing the requirement that an intended victim of violent crime must retreat from a place where he has a right to be before using deadly force in self defense.

Enhances Castle Doctrine
The bill also strengthens Minnesota’s “Castle Doctrine,” clarifying when and under what circumstances individuals can legally use deadly force to protect themselves in their homes and vehicles. In addition, it creates a presumption that, when faced with an apparent home invasion, carjacking or kidnapping attempt, a person may use deadly force in self defense.

Prevents Gun Seizures During a State of Emergency
Taking a lesson from the problems in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the bill also bans government agencies from seizing guns or ammo, revoking permits to purchase or carry, closing gun shops, or otherwise suspending our constitutional rights during a civil emergency. It also prohibits law enforcement officers from seizing a person’s gun, unless the person is arrested, or the gun is evidence of a crime.

Adds a Robust Appeals process to  Purchase Permits
The bill also borrows a page from the Permit to Carry law, providing a more robust appeal process for denied purchase permits, and requiring that police chiefs and sheriffs whose purchase permit denials are overturned must pay the applicants’ legal costs.

Adds Universal Carry Permit Acceptance
Of particular interest to carry permit holders, the final article of the bill updates our carry permit reciprocity standards, allowing people holding carry permits from any other state to carry in Minnesota (under Minnesota law, of course). This should result in a large increase in the number of states where Minnesota permit holders can carry, since many states allow other states’ permit holders to carry on a reciprocal basis.

The full text of the bill can be found here:  https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S1357.0.html&session=ls87

 

Call the Senate Leadership Team:

Amy Koch (R-19), Majority Leader
(651) 296-5981       
sen.amy.koch@senate.mn

Geoff Michel (R-41), Deputy Majority Leader
(651) 296-6238       
sen.geoff.michel@senate.mn

David Hann (R-42), Assistant Majority Leader
(651) 296-1749
sen.david.hann@senate.mn

Doug Magnus (R-22), Assistant Majority Leader   
(651) 296-5650       
sen.doug.magnus@senate.mn

David Senjem (R-29), Assistant Majority Leader
(651) 296-3903       
sen.david.senjem@senate.mn

Dave Thompson (R-36), Assistant Majority Leader
(651) 296-5252       
sen.dave.thompson@senate.mn

Chris Gerlach (R-37), Majority Whip
(651) 296-4120       
sen.chris.gerlach@senate.mn

Michelle Fischbach (R-14), President of the Senate
(651) 296-2084       
sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn

Gen Olson (R-33), President Pro Tem
(651) 296-1282       
sen.gen.olson@senate.mn

House Leadership:
Kurt Zellers (R-32B), Speaker of the House
(651) 296-5502
rep.kurt.zellers@house.mn

Matt Dean (R-52B), Majority Leader
(651) 296-3018
rep.matt.dean@house.mn

Rod Hamilton (R-22B), Majority Whip
(651) 296-5373
rep.rod.hamilton@house.mn

Kurt Daudt (R-17A), Assistant Majority Leader
(651) 296-5364
rep.kurt.daudt@house.mn

Bob Gunther (R-24A), Assistant Majority Leader
(651) 296-3240
rep.bob.gunther@house.mn

Joe Hoppe (R-34B), Assistant Majority Leader
(651) 296-5066
rep.joe.hoppe@house.mn

Tim Kelly (R-28A), Assistant Majority Leader
(651) 296-8635
rep.tim.kelly@house.mn

Jenifer Loon (R-42B), Assistant Majority Leader
(651) 296-7449
rep.jenifer.loon@house.mn

Paul Torkelson (R-21B), Assistant Majority Leader
(651) 296-9303
rep.paul.torkelson@house.mn

Greg Davids (R-31B), Speaker Pro Tempore
(651) 296-9278
rep.greg.davids@house.mn

Mary Liz Holberg (R-36A), Speaker Pro Tempore
(651) 296-6926
rep.maryliz.holberg@house.mn

Morrie Lanning (R-9A), Speaker Pro Tempore
(651) 296-5515
rep.morrie.lanning@house.mn

Torrey Westrom (R-11A), Speaker Pro Tempore
(651) 296-4929
rep.torrey.westrom@house.mn

 

You can email them all at once by pasting this list into your email client:

sen.amy.koch@senate.mn; sen.geoff.michel@senate.mn; sen.david.hann@senate.mn;sen.doug.magnus@senate.mn; sen.david.senjem@senate.mn;sen.dave.thompson@senate.mn; sen.chris.gerlach@senate.mn;sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn; sen.gen.olson@senate.mn; rep.kurt.zellers@house.mn;rep.matt.dean@house.mn; rep.rod.hamilton@house.mn; rep.kurt.daudt@house.mn;rep.bob.gunther@house.mn; rep.joe.hoppe@house.mn; rep.tim.kelly@house.mn;rep.jenifer.loon@house.mn; rep.paul.torkelson@house.mn; rep.greg.davids@house.mn;rep.maryliz.holberg@house.mn; rep.morrie.lanning@house.mn; rep.torrey.westrom@house.mn

Need that with commas instead? No problem!

sen.amy.koch@senate.mn, sen.geoff.michel@senate.mn, sen.david.hann@senate.mn,sen.doug.magnus@senate.mn, sen.david.senjem@senate.mn,sen.dave.thompson@senate.mn, sen.chris.gerlach@senate.mn,sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn, sen.gen.olson@senate.mn, rep.kurt.zellers@house.mn,rep.matt.dean@house.mn, rep.rod.hamilton@house.mn, rep.kurt.daudt@house.mn,rep.bob.gunther@house.mn, rep.joe.hoppe@house.mn, rep.tim.kelly@house.mn,rep.jenifer.loon@house.mn, rep.paul.torkelson@house.mn, rep.greg.davids@house.mn,rep.maryliz.holberg@house.mn, rep.morrie.lanning@house.mn, rep.torrey.westrom@house.mn