Gov. Mark Dayton, who joined a conference call about guns with Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday, is now looking at possibly changing Minnesota's gun laws.
"We're certainly looking with interest at what the vice president is going to propose... and at that point we look forward to working with legislators of both parties to see what changes we might want to propose," Dayton spokesman Katharine Tinucci said on Thursday.
Last month, after the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, Dayton defended gun-owners rights when asked about possible changes to Minnesota gun laws.
"At this point, I don't think we have an option under the Second Amendment to do what some people are advocating," Dayton, a gun owner, had said. "There's a limit on what society can do to protect people from their own follies."
Dayton, who has been out of the Capitol for weeks recovering from back surgery, had said at the time that he would consider what legislation Minnesota lawmakers wished to propose.
It's unclear whether any new gun legislation will reach Dayton's desk.
"Guns are one of those very, very divisive issues," said Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook. "I think any kind of additional gun legislation in Minnesota is really difficult to get passed."
"People feel very passionate on both sides of this. But this is a state with a strong sporting tradition and a lot of gun owners. And they feel very passionately about it. …. It would be very, very hard to change the current law," said Bakk, who said last month that he was one of the biggest lovers of guns in the Capitol.
