By Rich Larson
State Rep. Kristi Pursell said a series of proposed gun safety measures at the Minnesota Legislature are both necessary and overdue, describing them as “common sense” steps in the wake of recent tragedies.
The Northfield-area Democrat said the issue was especially heavy this week as families from Annunciation School visited the Capitol. Desks belonging to two children killed in a shooting last August — 10 year old Harper Moyski and 8 year old Fletcher Merkel — were displayed outside a committee room, surrounded by personal items and candles.
“It’s very powerful and very heavy,” Pursell said, recounting how classmates flipped through a notebook and remembered their friend. “We get to be at least as brave as these families whose children survived a mass shooting event.”
The DFL has introduced several gun-related bills this session. Pursell pointed to one measure heard in the House Education Policy Committee that would require firearms stored in vehicles on school grounds to be locked and secured. The proposal would also tighten school policies around who may carry a gun inside a building.
Under current law, she said, principals may have some discretion regarding firearms in schools, and guns can legally be carried in the Capitol, subject to security screening. Some Republican lawmakers have advocated for “constitutional carry,” which would eliminate permitting requirements — an approach Pursell opposes.
“That’s not where my head’s at,” she said.
The safe storage bill, which she said has bipartisan appeal, was voted down along party lines in committee. Pursell noted that two GOP members later told the bill’s author they had wanted to support it.
“Anytime we do anything around firearms, there’s a segment of folks who get very fired up and very vocal,” she said, adding that lawmakers must be able to do their jobs without intimidation.
Pursell, who has previously spoken about being personally affected by gun violence, said the Legislature must continue to publicly debate the issue.
“This is a thing that needs to at least have sunlight and be publicly discussed,” she said.
Rich Larson is the owner and General Manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net.
