Minnesota: 2019 Regular Session Ends as Legislature Gears up for Special Session This Week

Monday night, the Minnesota Legislature adjourned from its 2019 Legislative Session. Though, lawmakers are expected to reconvene later this week for a short Special Session.

During this special session, conference committees are expected to finalize their respective omnibus legislation.  Before adjourning, the House Environment Conference Committee considered and adopted language from Senate File 793 which would implement a grant of $500,000 split between two years for Firearm Safety Training in Minnesota school districts and American Indian-controlled tribal contract or grant schools.  These grants could be used to provide courses for students on trap shooting, archery, hunting, and angling in physical education programs.  The funding would be approved for two years, in 2020 and 2021.

NRA applauds the use of these grants to educate Minnesota youth on the importance of firearm safety and recreational heritage.

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Also at the end of session, the House Environment Conference Committee was considering a provision to their omnibus bill that would have banned lead shot ammunition from being used in the Minnesota Wildlife Management Areas.  Your NRA-ILA worked tirelessly in the legislature to ensure that this language was not included on the omnibus bill.  At this time, no such language is included and your NRA-ILA will continue to monitor the issue and keep you informed.

As previously reported, the Judiciary/Public Safety Conference Committee voted down the addition of anti-gun language from House Files 8 and 9 onto the Omnibus Bill, SF 802.  This is a large victory for gun owners as gun control groups and anti-gun legislators have continuously tried to impose these measures throughout the session.  While this victory is a good sign, this doesn’t mean the issues are dead.  These issues could potentially be brought up again.  Your NRA-ILA will also keep an eye out for this language and keep you informed should they return.

Stay-tuned to NRA-ILA Alerts for more information and updates from the Minnesota Special Session.