Yesterday I posted on Paymar’s misleading the public on support for HF953, the gun registration bill.   Only to later receive a copy of the actual letter sent to Citizens for Gun Grabbing.

March 6, 2009

Heather Martens
President
Citizens for Safer Minnesota

Re: H.F. 953

Dear President Martens

The Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association supports the effort of Citizens for Safer Minnesota to change the current Minnesota law to include background checks be conducted at gun shows throughout Minnesota. Recent news reports indicate the growing number of guns purchased by straw buyers in the U.S. are being found in Mexico and used by drug dealers.

Background checks could be easily accomplished at gun shows and would relieve the concerns of the vendors that an effort was made to ensure that a person not eligible for take[sic] delivery of a firearm was legally denied and the public safety was maintained.

Sincerely

Harlan Johnson
Executive Director
Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association

And I received this confirmation from Harlan Johnson explaining their position further.

Yes, we support that NICS check be conducted at gun shows where vendors have not been afforded the protection that larger retail dealers have to ensure that the sale of a firearm is to a legitimate purchaser. It is no more taxing or time consuming than a citizen would do if they purchased a gun a Gander Mountain.

We do not consider vendors at gun shows to be “private sales.”

We support the concept that private citizen sales as a non-dealer seller (or giving a gun) to another private citizen. We do not support the age old H.R. 45 that has been around for years and without any support or merit that would ban causal sales or gifting of guns to friends and family members.

Straw buyers, unfortunately, are being blamed for 6500 deaths in Mexico by the Mexican government.

I hope this answers your questions satisfactorily.

Harlan Johnson

Unfortunately HF953 goes much further than simply restricting gun show sales and the associations endorcement of this portion of the bill is being perceived as full support of the legislation by Rep. Paymar.