Star Tribune link
via ssgmarkcr:
I came upon this article that is close to home for me. Minnesota's carry permit has broken a new record with a total of over 165,000. Stories like this are fairly common when the new legislative session starts. The problem is that the media has a hard time portraying permit holders as a problem because the information on what little criminal behavior is committed is freely available, including data on when the permits are taken away.
Minnesota permit holders are also politically active, last year there was an attempt to pass legislation passed to ban assault weapons, high capacity magazines, and of course mandate universal background checks. The turn-out by permit holders greatly outnumbered those supporting the legislation, and there were no confrontations. And of course, most everyone exercised their prerogative to carry in the capitol. I'm not sure if I'll be able to attend, but I have sent the required notification in to inform them of my intent to carry if I visit.
"Permits issued in Minnesota for carrying a firearm nearly doubled in 2013 vs. the previous year, state officials said Friday, helping push the number of active permit holders to its highest total ever measured.
About 20 percent of the 60,471 permits issued last year were renewals, which are required every five years, according to the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA).
Also, the number of active permit holders has grown to 165,295, an increase of about one-third from the total of 125,339 a year ago at this time, the agency reported. Not everyone who has a permit is a gun owner.
The current number of permit holders is the highest ever measured by the BCA, said spokeswoman Jill Oliveira. The agency does not keep a day-by-day tally, but it gathers snapshot totals upon request. The previous high reported by the BCA upon request was 159,691 (on Nov. 26, 2013).
Sheriffs statewide reported 540 permits were denied in 2013, 28 suspended, 18 voided and 11 revoked, the BCA said."