Some Republican candidates for governor suggested Wednesday that Minnesota should expand legal protections for people who use guns to defend themselves amid a rise in violent crime in the Twin Cities.
GOP candidates for Minnesota governor back expanded gun laws
Scott Jensen and Sen. Paul Gazelka cite rise in crime.
November 6, 2021 at 5:41PM
"At some basic level we're going to have to take charge of our own safety," former state legislator Scott Jensen said during a debate at Minnesota State University Mankato. "We need to have a 'stand your ground' bill so that if you are minding your own business and you find yourself in harm's way, I don't want you having to prove that you tried to retreat. Take care of business."
Jensen also said people 18 or older should be allowed to carry a handgun without a permit. Minnesota law requires people to have a permit and be 21.
Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, echoed support for a "stand your ground" law, while pointing out that Jensen had proposed gun control legislation during his time at the Capitol.
"With lawlessness going up, I do think 'stand your ground' is something that could be done now," Gazelka said, adding that a handful of moderate members of the Senate GOP previously did not want to go down that path. "Now I feel like there's a movement where people know that they got to be able to keep their family safe."
That idea would face a nearly impossible path at the Capitol now, with Democrats in control of the House and governor's office.
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