Public safety bills moving through the Minnesota Senate strike the right balance between restrictions that should lessen gun violence and accommodating hunters and gun-collecting enthusiasts.

Three bills passed the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee last week, one a party-line vote and another two on a voice vote, in which votes of individual senators are not recorded but the chair makes a ruling on the final count.

The bills would enhance Minnesota’s background check laws, with some exceptions for family transfers and hunting guns. Another bill adds a so-called red flag law that would allow a court to take guns from someone deemed a threat to themselves or others. A third increases prison time for people who are in possession of illegal guns, such as machine guns or trigger enhancing devices that replicate machine guns.

There are plenty of reasonable exemptions for law-abiding gun owners. The bill will expand background checks only on pistols and assault-style rifles sold at gun shows or online. It will not require the checks for the transfer of hunting rifles. The new law would require people to get a permit from law enforcement, which would then have 30 days to complete a background check.

The permit could be denied if the person had a record of domestic violence, was in a gang database or deemed a danger to themselves or others.

The red flag law passed is similar to such laws in 23 other states. Those looking to have guns taken from a person thought to be a risk could petition law enforcement or ask for a hearing in front of a judge. The law lays out the process for a gun owner to quickly appeal and regain possession of their gun.

We have long advocated broader background checks on gun shows and online transfers and red flag laws. A nationwide 2017 survey showed 22 percent of gun transfers in the U.S. happened without background checks at all.

We have also supported enforcing gun laws already on the books, including strict charges when felons are in possession of a weapon (a charge that is regularly plea bargained down), and increasing penalties for straw buyers, those who legally buy guns and resell them to gangs or criminals.

A law to increase penalties for owing a machine gun or making one out of a regular gun is a no-brainer and was not controversial in the Senate debate.

Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, the chairman of the judiciary committee, said he would not bring up any other gun bills this session, including more controversial ones about limiting the age of those who can own an assault-type rifle and stricter laws for storing guns in the home. We believe that was a wise decision.

The hearing drew a crowd of testifiers with advocates for the new laws pointing to how a red flag law would have possibly prevented the Buffalo, Minnesota medical clinic shooting that killed one and injured others. People knew the shooter, and they knew he was dangerous. Others pointed out several mass killers passed background checks.

We can never guarantee these laws will stop all mass shootings or death by suicide or homicide. But we should do what we can, however imperfect.

The proposals moving through the Senate and likely to be passed by the House will finally give Minnesota commonsense gun laws that bolster public safety for all citizens.

— Mankato Free Press