St. Paul, MN – Today, Thursday, March 6, the Minnesota House of Representatives voted down HF 13, a Shoot First bill which would remove Minnesota’s duty to retreat, allowing Minnesotans to shoot first when they feel threatened. If passed, this would lead to even more gun violence victims and more loss of life. The bill failed to reach the 68 votes needed to pass with all Democrats voting in opposition, including Representative Ginny Klevorn (DFL- Plymouth).
“As a professional mediator in various settings, this legislation is concerning on many different levels,” said Rep. Klevorn. “Shoot first, ask questions later is driven by fear, bypassing rational thought and avoiding resolution, often leading to irreversible, tragic outcomes.
“Over the past two years, I, along with our Plymouth neighbors, took action to reduce gun violence by requiring criminal background checks and creating Extreme Risk Protection Orders. These policies are already making a difference. In fact, Minnesota has one of the lowest firearm mortality rates in the US, due in large part to sensible and safety centered gun violence prevention laws.
“Our residents want to see us continue to work together on critical public safety issues like these, not rolling back progress on a harmful proposal that creates more uncertainty and less safety.”
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