House passes no firearm notification requirement for Capitol Complex visitors

People who have a permit to carry a pistol must now notify the Department of Public Safety if they will be armed when visiting the Capitol Complex. If not, they could be charged with a felony.

That step may no longer be needed.

Rep. Jim Nash

Sponsored by Rep. Jim Nash (R-Waconia), HF372 would say that having been issued a permit to carry is enough when visiting the Capitol and other state buildings. Passed 92-38 Thursday by the House, it now goes to the Senate where Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen (R-Alexandria) is the sponsor.

“I appreciate the bipartisan support of this, recognizing the value of the $1.2 million database that is far superior to a handwritten note or an email sent into the Department of Public Safety, who, themselves, admitted does nothing additional, and that the ability to access the database with speed and accuracy is far superior to an antiquated, outdated and really unnecessary additional step,” Nash said.

Rep. Dan Schoen (DFL-St. Paul Park) offered an amendment whereby a permit holder could not carry “in any building within the Capitol Area where the legislature has offices or conducts business, if school children are present.” A place would be designated where permit holders could store their firearms.

“Our schools don’t allow firearms in them, and, maybe, it’s probably not a good idea to have firearms in the building when school children are present,” Schoen said.

It was ruled not germane because it would increase spending in the underlying bill.

Schoen and House Minority Leader Paul Thissen (DFL-Mpls) said the cost would be minimal and could be absorbed by the Department of Administration; but Rep. Tony Cornish (R-Vernon Center) said any day there could be 100 or more people carrying inside the State Capitol. That would mean that many steel lock boxes would be needed to store the weapons and the building would need to be redesigned to affix those boxes to the wall.