We have received word that the Republican leadership in the Minnesota Senate has decided to kill The Defense of Dwelling and Person Act by not bringing it to the Senate floor for a vote.

The Senate leadership did not sacrifice SF 1357 for other priorities. They made a deliberate, political decision to refuse to put the bill on Governor Dayton’s desk.

The Senate leadership was not forced into this retreat by the DFL or anti-gun groups. They decided, unilaterally, to give up on this important civil rights legislation.

The Senate leadership did not run out of time. The Senate doesn’t have to finish before Monday at midnight. They could still hear the bill if the leadership does their job.

Please call and email the Senate leadership NOW, and respectfully demand that the bill get an immediate hearing.

You might also want to email and call your own senator, especially if he/she is a Republican, with the same message.

Tell them that Minnesota gun owners vote — and that they have very long memories.

Here is the Senate leadership:

Majority Leader Amy Koch

(651) 296-5981

sen.amy.koch@senate.mn

Deputy Majority Leader Geoff Michel

(651) 296-6238

sen.geoff.michel@senate.mn

Assistant Majority Leader David Hann

(651) 296-1749

http://www.senate.mn/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1016

You might want to mention to Senator Hann that forcing correspondents to use a web form is NOT very convenient or service-oriented)

Assistant Majority Leader Doug Magnus

(651) 296-5650

sen.doug.magnus@senate.mn

Assistant Majority Leader David Senjem

(651) 296-3903

sen.david.senjem@senate.mn

Assistant Majority Leader Dave Thompson

(651) 296-5252

sen.dave.thompson@senate.mn

Majority Whip Chris Gerlach

(651) 296-4120

sen.chris.gerlach@senate.mn

President of the Senate Michelle Fischbach

(651) 296-2084

sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn

President Pro Tem Gen Olson

(651) 296-1282

sen.gen.olson@senate.mn

All at once (except for Hann):

sen.amy.koch@senate.mn, sen.geoff.michel@senate.mn, sen.doug.magnus@senate.mn, sen.david.senjem@senate.mn, sen.dave.thompson@senate.mn, sen.chris.gerlach@senate.mn, sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn, sen.gen.olson@senate.mn

Or with semicolons (except for Hann):

sen.amy.koch@senate.mn; sen.geoff.michel@senate.mn; sen.doug.magnus@senate.mn; sen.david.senjem@senate.mn; sen.dave.thompson@senate.mn; sen.chris.gerlach@senate.mn; sen.michelle.fischbach@senate.mn; sen.gen.olson@senate.mn

Just a quick update:

The Defense of Dwelling and Person Act of 2011 will be heard in the Minnesota Senate today — probably in the late afternoon. This should be the last step before the bill goes to Governor Dayton.

If you haven’t called and emailed your senator in support of the bill, now would be an excellent time.

Please keep an eye out for more update messages this evening, and this weekend. We will probably ask for your help in one more big push this weekend.

 

Earlier today, we sent a message asking you to contact Senator Julianne Ortman. The email said:

“We are hearing that Senator Ortman may be holding up SF1357…“

Our information turned out to be incorrect. Senator Ortman is not, and never was, holding up the bill.

Information moves quickly and sometimes erratically in the final days of the session. Given the importance of the bill and the limited time remaining in the session, we acted immediately on the credible information we had.

We sincerely regret any confusion our message may have caused.

Senator Ortman has been a strong supporter of the rights of gun owners for her entire political career. We are lucky to have her on our side, and we are relieved to find out that we we heard wrong.

Please email Senator Ortman — especially if you did before — and thank her for her continued support.