Wikimedia Commons/Ratha Grimes
Wikimedia Commons/Ratha Grimes
A record number of Minnesotans reportedly have permits to publicly carry guns in the state as those numbers continue to grow.
As of March, 301,268 Minnesota civilian citizens hold permits to carry a firearm in public – a number that has nearly doubled over the past six years and led to heated debate throughout the state.
A Star Tribune report recently announced that Minnesota sheriffs issued 51,404 new five-year permits in 2019, with residents from Hennepin, Anoka and Dakota counties applying in the highest numbers.
“Minnesota’s growing number of firearm carriers comes as some gun owners across the state are concerned about new proposals at the State Capitol that could make it harder to buy firearms,” the report stated. “Other states have seen a jump in permit applications as similar gun measures were being debated.”
Minnesota legislators have been arguing a number of firearm-related measures at the State Capitol, headlined by proposals to require more stringent background checks as well as “red flag” laws that would give the court the authority to confiscate firearms from potential “high risk” owners who may be at risk to themselves or others.
Regardless of potential changes to gun laws, many Minnesotans have declared the state a “Second-Amendment Sanctuary” and have been adamant about refusing to obey by any new bills that may be pushed forth by politicians in effort to take firearms out of their hands.
Dakota County Sheriff Tim Leslie recently stated that he has all but changed his mind on his initial skepticism since permit-to-carry in Minnesota was voted into law 17 years ago. At that time Sheriff Leslie was a top St. Paul police administrator and the National Rifle Association-driven proposal was a hot topic of debate among all sides of the Minnesota Legislature.
“I was opposed. I just thought it was, I don’t know, scary,” Leslie said, as reported by the Star Tribune. “As I have lived through this, I’ve learned it’s been much more freeing for people to have some control back. They want to exercise this right.”
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