Lt.Gov. Yvonne Prettner Solon, who is chairing hearings into the popular practice of citizens carrying guns at the State Capitol, weighed in on the side of limiting gun-carrying on Tuesday.
"We are an anomaly among other states," she said, referring to state law that allows permit-holders to freely carry guns at the Capitol. One man carried his Glock openly during the committee hearing that was discussing the issue, standing a few feet away from the committee table.
"I do not want to be in a position where we have an incident at the Capitol and we have not thoroughly looked at the situation to determine whether we are providing for the safety of the public," she said.
Her boss, Gov. Mark Dayton, said last week he does not worry about permit-holder carrying weapons at the Capitol, but is concerned about others bringing guns in. Prettner Solon said it is possible that the issue could be subject to a compromise, such as limiting weapons in certain committees or on certain days.
"There's lots of room for movement," she said. "We don't have to jump from one extreme to another extreme."
She said she has not talked to Dayton about the subject.
"We don't talk very often," she said. "We talk with our policy staff, our policy staff keep each of us informed... The governor and I each have very busy schedules. It's not always easy to accommodate meetings between us."
Asked if she will seek a second term next year, she said, "I like doing what I'm doing, and the issues that I'm involved in right now. I'm really resistant to starting a campaign a year and a half out before your turn is up. And so, I'm interested in finishing my term. I'll give consideration to that after the first of the year."
