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>> "CAPITOL REPORT" IS A
PROSECUTE DUCKS OF SENATE
MEDIA SERVICES.
>> THE GAVEL HAS DROPPED.
NOW THE WORK BEGINS.
WILL SOME OF THAT WORK REFORM
GUN LAWS?
WE DISCUSS IN THIS WEEK'S
"CAPITOL REPORT."
♪
.
>> HELLO, EVERYBODY, AND THANK
YOU FOR TUNING IN TO THIS
FIRST "CAPITOL REPORT"
FOLLOWING THE BEGINNING OF THE
88th SESSION OF THE
MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE.
IT'S THE FIRST TIME IN MORE
THAN TWO DECADES THAT THE
HOUSE, THE SENATE AND THE
EXECUTIVE BRANCH ARE ALL LED
BY THE SAME PARTY, THE D.F.L.
67 SENATORS, INCLUDING NEWLY
ELECTED MAJORITY LEADER TOM
BAKK, MINORITY LEADER DAVID
HANN, AND PRESIDENT OF THE
SENATE, SANDY PAPPAS, WERE
SWORN IN ON THE SENATE FLOOR
ON TUESDAY.
CONCURRENTLY, IN THE OTHER
CHAMBER WAS THE OFFICIAL
SWEARING IN OF THE NEWLY
ELECTED SPEAKER, PAUL THISSEN,
JOINING NEW MAJORITY LEADER
ERIN MURPHY, MINORITY LEADER
KURT DAUDT, ALONG WITH 131
OTHER MEMBERS.
BY WEDNESDAY, THE NEW LEADERS
DETAILED THEIR VISION FOR THE
2013 SESSION.
>> THIS SESSION, THE DEMOCRATS
IN THE LEGISLATURE WORKING
WITH GOVERNOR DAYTON, REALLY
DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE
PAST THAT GRIDLOCK, MOVE THE
STATE FORWARD WITH AN AGENDA
THAT GROWS OUR ECONOMY AND
MAKES SURE THAT WE HAVE A
GROWING ECONOMY WHERE THE
MIDDLE CLASS IS PROSPEROUS AND
GROWING.
THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE
ENTERING THE MIDDLE CLASS.
AND OUR PRIORITIES THIS
SESSION ARE SIMPLE.
IT'S REALLY, WE'RE SEEING THE
SESSION THROUGH THAT LENS.
WE WANT TO INVEST IN THE
THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO GROW
OUR ECONOMY AND GROW OUR
MIDDLE CLASS, AND WE WANT TO
DO IT IN A WAY THAT WILL
CREATE A STABLE AND A BALANCED
BUDGET.
AND WE WANT A STATE WHERE
EVERY CHILD AND EVERY PERSON
HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO
SUCCEED, WHERE THEY GETS A
WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION.
>> GOING TO HAVE AN HONEST
CONVERSATION WITH MINNESOTANS
ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT WE
FACE AS A STATE, AND HOW CAN
WE BUILD TOWARDS A
STRUCTURALLY BALANCED BUDGET,
AROUND, YOU KNOW, IT MAY TAKE
US MORE THAN ONE BIENNIUM TO
GET THERE.
BUT MY OVERALL GOAL OVER THE
NEXT FOUR YEARS WILL BE
WHETHER I RUN AGAIN OR NOT IN
2016, IS THAT THE BUDGET THAT
WE HAND OFF TO THE LEGISLATURE
COMING IN IN 2017 IS BALANCED.
>> WE THINK THAT THE WAY THAT
WE APPROACHED THE BUDGET,
WHICH IS TO TRY TO MANAGE THE
GROWTH IN SPENDING, TRY TO SET
PRIORITIES, TRY TO DO THE
THINGS THAT ARE EXPECTED IN
WAYS THAT MAKE SENSE, LOOK FOR
REFORMS AND EFFICIENCIES AND
DON'T BURDEN THE ECONOMY WITH
ADDITIONAL COSTS TO DO
BUSINESS IN THE STATE OF
MINNESOTA, THOSE THINGS ARE
SOUND PRINCIPLES.
WE USED THEM, WE THINK THAT
THE FORECAST HAS SHOWN THAT
THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN
EFFECTIVELY.
WE ARE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE
NATIONAL ECONOMY, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, THE KINDS OF
BUDGET STRUGGLES THEY'RE
HAVING, THE IMPACT THAT MAY
HAVE ON OUR ECONOMY.
WE THINK THIS IS A TIME FOR
PRUDENCE AND A TIME FOR
CAUTION AND NOT A TIME TO BLOW
OUT THE BUDGETS WITH EXCESSIVE
SPENDING.
>> I BELIEVE THAT THE LAST TWO
YEARS HAVE BEEN A CLINIC TO
DEMONSTRATE HOW REDUCING OR
TRYING TO HOLD BACK THE RATE
OF GROWTH OF GOVERNMENT, GROWS
THE ECONOMY, RESULTS IN
INCREASED REVENUE, AND
DEMONSTRATES THAT THE
PRINCIPLES THAT WE ARGUED FOR
FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS WORKED.
♪
>> THE DECEMBER SHOOTINGS IN A
CONNECTICUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BROUGHT THE YOU REMEMBER OF
GUN CONTROL BACK TO -- BROUGHT
THE ISSUE OF GUN CONTROL BACK
TO THE FOREFRONT.
CHAIR OF THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE, SENATOR RON LATZ,
SAT DOWN WITH US EARLIER TO
DISCUSS THE ISSUE.
SENATOR, LET'S BEGIN WITH WHAT
DID HAPPEN IN CONNECTICUT,
IT'S A STATE WHERE MANY
CONSIDER -- MANY CONSIDER
CONNECTICUT TO HAVE VERY
STRONG GUN LAWS ALREADY IN
PLACE, SO TO ME THIS KIND OF
BEGS THE QUESTION, IN YOUR
OPINION, IS THIS A FEDERAL
ISSUE, AND IF SO, HOW CAN THE
STATE KIND OF COMPLEMENT
WHAT'S BEING DONE AT A FEDERAL
LEVEL?
>> WELL, THIS IS LARGELY A
FEDERAL ISSUE BUT THE FEDERAL
LAWS LEAVE ROOM FOR THE STATES
TO PASS THEIR OWN LAWS, AS
WELL.
STATES CAN BE MORE STRICT
ABOUT ACCESS TO GUNS THAN THE
FEDS, NECESSARILY WILL PASS IN
THEIR OWN CONGRESS.
SO IT'S KIND OF JOINT
JURISDICTION.
OF COURSE, THE PRESIDENT HAS
ANNOUNCED HE'S GOING TO TO
TAKE A VERY AGGRESSIVE
APPROACH TO THIS.
HE'S GOT THEM COMING UP WITH
PROPOSALS.
I THINK WE'LL SEE WHAT THEY
HAVE TO SAY.
>> WE HEARD THEM TALK ABOUT
DIFFERENT POTENTIAL PROPOSALS
BEING INTRODUCED THIS SESSION.
ONE OF THOSE IS LETTING
TEACHERS ARM THEMSELVES IF
THEY ARE INDEED PASS ALL OF
THE RIDGE ROUSE TESTS AND THE
REGULATIONS THAT THEY WOULD
HAVE TO DO TO CARRY, HAVE THE
CONCEAL AND CARRY PERMIT.
SO AS THESE PROPOSALS COME
THROUGH YOUR COMMITTEE, HOW DO
YOU INTEND TO KIND OF SIFT
THROUGH THEM AND WEIGH WHETHER
THEY DESERVE A HEARING OR NOT?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY
FIRST TIME AS A CHAIR OF THE
COMMITTEE, SO I'M GOING TO
HAVE TO TAKE A THOUGHTFUL
APPROACH TO ALL OF THE
PROPOSALS THAT GET REFERRED TO
MY COMMITTEE, AND WE'LL SEE
WHAT TIME ALLOWS TO HAVE BILLS
HEARD, AND WHETHER THERE IS
SUPPORT FOR THE BILLS
INFORMALLY ON THE COMMITTEE.
YOU KNOW, IF A BILL COMES TO
US THAT IT'S CLEAR THERE ISN'T
ANY SUPPORT ON THE COMMITTEE
AT ALL FOR IT, THERE'S NOT
GOING TO BE ANY POINT IN
WASTING THE HEARING TIME ON
THAT.
>> AT THIS POINT, DO YOU
ENDORSE ANY POLICY CHANGES?
>> I DON'T.
I -- I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH
THE NOTION OF ARMING THE
TEACHERS IN ALL THE CLASSROOMS
BUT BEYOND THAT, I DON'T HAVE
ANY PARTICULAR PROPOSAL THAT
I'M GOING TO BE OUT ADVOCATING
FOR.
BUT OUR COMMITTEE IS A
COMMITTEE WITH THE
JURISDICTION OVER THE TOPIC,
AND I TEND TO LEAN IN FAVOR OF
CONTROL OVER ACCESS TO GUNS,
CERTAINLY CERTAIN TYPES OF
GUNS, ASSAULTS RIFLES, THE
MULTIPLE MAGAZINE GUNS, AS
WELL.
LIKE THE BUSHMASTER THAT WAS
USED IN THE CONNECTICUT
SHOOTING.
BUT THIS IS A TOUGH AREA TO
LEGISLATE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW,
YOU CAN PASS SOMETHING INTO
LAW AND THEN THE TECHNOLOGY
CAN CHANGE OR THE DESIGN
FEATURES CAN CHANGE TO TRY TO
FIND A WAY AROUND THE STATUTE.
SO YOU'VE GOT TO BE PRETTY
CAREFUL HOW YOU FASHION THE
LAWS, AS WELL.
>> ON DECEMBER 12th,
MINN"WASHINGTON POST"ED ON
THIS ISSUE, TONY CORNISH, THE
OUTGOING CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC
SAFETY COMMITTEE, HE IS QUOTED
AS SAYING HE ISN'T SURE THERE
IS ANY INTEREST IN THE D.F.L.
TO BE KNOWN AS THE PARTY WHO
TOOK AWAY THE GUN OWNERS A
RIGHT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE
QUESTION TO BE ASKING, I DON'T
THINK IT'S ABOUT GUN-OWNERS'
RIGHTS.
I THINK THEY'RE ALREADY
ESTABLISHED IN STATE LAW, LOTS
OF RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE TO OWN
GUNS BUT IT IS A REGULATED
ACCESS AND THAT'S JUST THE
NATURE OF IT, JUST LIKE ACCESS
TO DRIVING CARS IS REGULATED.
SO THE QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE
THE APPROPRIATE REGULATIONS
AND WHERE DO WE DRAW THAT
LINE?
THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF
POLICIES THAT WE'LL BE
DISCUSSING IN COMMITTEE.
>> WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT THE ARGUMENT OF WHETHER
OR NOT MORE LEGAL ACCESS TO
GUNS IS THE ANSWER.
YOU SAID IT ISN'T, BUT LET'S
TALK A LITTLE MORE DEEPLY
ABOUT THAT.