On New Year’s Day, several new laws went into effect, including the new Extreme Risk Protection Order. This policy violates Minnesotans’ right to due process and does not address the alleged safety risk – the individual.
Forms are now live on the Minnesota Judicial Branch website for people to file an Extreme Risk Protection Order or seek restoration of firearms from a permanent ban. It should come as no surprise that the language in the form to restore one’s Second Amendment right is shocking. Instead of requiring an accuser to prove the defendant’s guilt, as is the norm in our American judicial system, a defendant is forced to prove their innocence.
If someone is a legitimate threat, simply seizing firearms will not prevent an individual from doing harm to themselves or others through other means. The seizure of property without a warrant and due process, especially property that is explicitly protected by the Second Amendment, violates civil rights. We had an opportunity last session to focus on providing support and care to those in crisis, but Democrats chose to enact their anti-gun agenda instead of addressing the root cause of gun violence.
Every American has the right to due process. Unfortunately, the new Extreme Risk Protection Order was only one part of Democrat’s extreme gun agenda that they rushed to pass last session. They also imposed Universal Background Checks which will create strict and impractical hurdles for law-abiding Minnesotans trying to exercise their Second Amendment right.
Democrats will continue to strip away your gun rights so long as they hold total control at the state capitol. This issue only further illustrates the need to restore balance in St. Paul so we can ensure our way of life is defended.
