By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
One of the most alarming gun ban proposals to surface in recent memory has been introduced in Minnesota by Democrat (DFL) Senator Matt Klein, and the language is so egregious that law professor Jonathan Turley calls it “part of an overall assault on gun rights” in a column posted online Wednesday.
SF 4290 bans future sales of modern semiautomatic rifles and original capacity magazines, and allows current owners to retain their rifles only if they consent to law enforcement entering their homes to “inspect the storage of the device to ensure compliance” with so-called “safe storage” requirements.
Essentially, one must agree to allow these inspections or not own a semiautomatic rifle.
Turley says this provision makes the Minnesota proposal “distinctive.”
“These laws will, hopefully, compel the Court to accept review of these laws and bring greater clarity on the scope of this individual right,” Turley suggests.
There is more, however, which is also telling. According to the text of Klein’s bill, “Persons acquiring semiautomatic military-style assault weapons by inheritance, bequest, or succession must, within 120 days of acquiring title, do one of the following:
- Surrender the device to the appropriate law enforcement agency for destruction
- Modify the device to render it permanently inoperable, or
- Remove the device from the state.
Turley, who frequently appears on Fox News as a legal analyst and commentator, writes, “The Supreme Court has thus far dodged review of these bans. However, while courts have upheld the bans in places like Illinois, some of us believe that banning weapons like the AR-15 is arbitrary and unconstitutional.”
If passed, the measure would take effect on Aug. 1 of this year.
