May 5, 2005 10:07 am US/Central
Reality Check: Handgun Law
(WCCO)
Minnesota is one of 38 states that has made it easier to legally carry a handgun in a public place. After the courts declared the law invalid, supporters have been rushing to pass a new one.
Now that there is a chance the law will be back on the books again, some people have been wondering if another change in the law would make a difference in the crime rate.
"This is about fair, unbiased, objective issuance of carry permits. That is all," said John Caile, a supporter of the gun law.
This is TRUE, BUT there's a lot more to it. The law that is now on hold required police chiefs and sheriffs to grant gun permits to anyone who met certain guidelines.
In the nearly 14 months the law was in effect, nearly 2,600 Minnesotans got permits to carry weapons in public. Those five-year permits are still valid.
But, that's NOT THE WHOLE STORY. The courts found the law unconstitutional not because it was a bad idea, but because lawmakers illegally passed the bill by attaching it to an unrelated bill and forcing it through the legislature.
Now, opponents are trying hard to stop it again.
"Are we a safer society today, as result of this bill, or not? My understanding is that violent crime has actually increased," said former Gov. Arne Carlson, a critic of the gun law.
This is TRUE. Violent crime in Minnesota, including robbery, rape and murder, rose 4.3 percent in 2003.
There is little evidence, however, either in Minnesota or anywhere that gun permit laws are the cause of more crime, or for that matter, less crime.
That's Reality Check.
(WCCO)
