Lost or Stolen Passes House

[daleamn]

Well, House File (HF 601) giving the victims of gun theft 48 hours to report the loss or theft of a firearm (after they reasonably should have known about it) passed the MN House 68 to 63.

Alpha News had a link to the debate on the issue and you can also see the debate on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlfZEHVdlhw

It's about 4 hours long and the 'common sense' opposing the bill is clear to see but it passed anyway. Once again, the legislators opposing the bill made clear, logical, thoughtful arguments AGAINST making the VICTIM of the crime of theft a CRIMINAL themselves but to no avail.

It really was heartening to hear the legislators and their arguments that spoke against the bill.

Hopefully things will be different in the MN Senate.

[daleamn]

One thing about HF601 (Lost or Stolen) I think would have been fun but probably not helpful would be to go full sarcasm on the bill as to the good it could do.

"This bill is NECESSARY to SAVE LIVES!

With timely information about lost or stolen firearms, law enforcement personnel would be able to arrest gun thieves with stolen guns much like they arrest auto thieves with stolen cars making the public much, much safer."

[xd ED]

One thing about HF601 (Lost or Stolen) I think would have been fun but probably not helpful would be to go full sarcasm on the bill as to the good it could do.

"This bill is NECESSARY to SAVE LIVES!

With timely information about lost or stolen firearms, law enforcement personnel would be able to arrest gun thieves with stolen guns much like they arrest auto thieves with stolen cars making the public much, much safer."

It seems unlikely that a vehicle having been stolen is the first thing that brings a car, or car thief to the attention of the Police.
I suspect it is rare that the only crime being committed would be occupying a stolen vehicle. Odds are, they aren't using it to get to their job @ 0600.

Similarly, one wonders what the odds are that an individual, behaving civilly, and otherwise within the law - not prohibited from owning and legally carrying a firearm - would knowingly be in possession of a lost, or stolen firearm....

[Holland&Holland]

They should pass this same legislation for victims of murder next. Just think how many more convictions we would get if those victims actually cooperated?

[Sorcerer]

This law could be a problem for those that have” lost all my guns in a boating accident”. Any guns purchased after last year, your insurance companies may charge you with fraud. Just saying, be careful.

[daleamn]

law enforcement personnel would be able to arrest gun thieves with stolen guns much like they arrest auto thieves with stolen cars

My very lame attempt at sarcastic humor.

I was wondering if the supporters of the 'lost or stolen' legislation think law enforcement officials will be able to spot stolen guns in a similar fashion to the way they spot stolen cars.

Do they think a gun and its serial number is in any way analogous to a car and its license plate? Do they think having a list of lost and stolen firearms will result in cops getting these guns off the streets?

As far as I can see the only thing this might do is prevent someone from claiming a gun was lost or stolen AFTER they sold it to a criminal that shouldn't have a gun and that criminal had done something to get arrested and found with the gun.

The bad guy selling guns illegally could just claim they sold it to a legit person that sold it to the criminal. Or, since the penalties (this is admitted by the folk pushing this law) are so light the guy just might bite the bullet so to speak and say the gun was stolen by the criminal and he didn't report it or just claim the criminal somehow snuck the gun away from him and it wasn't 'reasonable' that he should have noticed it was missing. And now we are into what is 'reasonable'. Depending on WHO they are looking at some prosecutors might change their opinion about what is 'reasonable' and what is not.

I just fail to see how the 'lost or stolen' law would make any of us any safer.

[Holland&Holland]

law enforcement personnel would be able to arrest gun thieves with stolen guns much like they arrest auto thieves with stolen cars

My very lame attempt at sarcastic humor.

I was wondering if the supporters of the 'lost or stolen' legislation think law enforcement officials will be able to spot stolen guns in a similar fashion to the way they spot stolen cars.

Do they think a gun and its serial number is in any way analogous to a car and its license plate? Do they think having a list of lost and stolen firearms will result in cops getting these guns off the streets?

As far as I can see the only thing this might do is prevent someone from claiming a gun was lost or stolen AFTER they sold it to a criminal that shouldn't have a gun and that criminal had done something to get arrested and found with the gun.

The bad guy selling guns illegally could just claim they sold it to a legit person that sold it to the criminal. Or, since the penalties (this is admitted by the folk pushing this law) are so light the guy just might bite the bullet so to speak and say the gun was stolen by the criminal and he didn't report it or just claim the criminal somehow snuck the gun away from him and it wasn't 'reasonable' that he should have noticed it was missing. And now we are into what is 'reasonable'. Depending on WHO they are looking at some prosecutors might change their opinion about what is 'reasonable' and what is not.

I just fail to see how the 'lost or stolen' law would make any of us any safer.

Gun control is not about making anyone safer, it is about controlling the populace.