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ST. PAUL (AP) -- Democratic Minnesota senators, holding firm despite only a one-vote majority, were poised Friday to pass gun control legislation strongly supported by the governor that would align the battleground state with others nationally that have taken steps to keep guns out of the hands of people in crisis and criminals.
The proposals include a "red flag law" that would allow authorities to ask courts for "extreme risk protection orders" to temporarily take guns away from people deemed to be an imminent threat to others or themselves. The provision is part of a broad public safety budget bill that also contains expanded background checks for gun transfers.
"What we are going to be providing -- finally -- is a path forward for families and law enforcement who know that someone's exhibiting signs of crisis and danger," said Democratic Sen. Rob Latz of St. Louis Park, chairman of the Senate public safety committee.
Nineteen other states have some kind of red flag laws, Latz noted at a news conference, including several red states.
The overall package survived an initial test vote when all Democrats voted down a Republican motion to send it back to a House-Senate conference committee for more work.