Democrats have just announced this week that they are submitting a new bill which will change how residents of Minnesota will be purchasing their firearms. The announcement was well attended by members of two gun advocate organizations, namely the Minnesota chapter of the Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America  and the Everytown Survivor Network.

Aside from those who are for the new legislation, another group had also gathered during the announcement who were rallying against the proposal. If the bill were to be passed, it would be extending the background checks for firearms purchases into individual sales among others. Another goal of the proposal, aside from preventing illegal individual exchanges, is to get rid of the supposed gun show and internet loopholes.

The bill introduced by Democratic Rep. Dan Schoen and Sen. Ron Latz, D-St. Lewis Park mentions that a background check will now be required for firearms purchased at gun shows and for purchases done over the internet if they are to be delivered in person within Minnesotan soil. The legislation also applies to exchanges among individuals. A portion of the legislation however, does mention that background checks are not required if the sale is to the seller’s family members or with sales involving law enforcement.

It is yet unclear if the bill will indeed pass through as there will still be some obstacles for it to overcome, especially when it goes through the House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Committee.

Legislation that aims to extend background checks are not uncommon and have become very popular statewide. However the story is quite different in many rural districts. For one thing, majority of legislative republicans and rural democrats are still quite opposed to the idea of tightening gun laws as a solution to prevent gun related crimes.