Dayton slams NRA's 'bogus' gun arguments

DFL Gov. Mark Dayton leveled some sharp criticism Tuesday against the National Rifle Association and its opposition to universal background checks on gun purchases.

Dayton took issue with NRA claims that such measures would infringe on 2nd Amendment rights and could lead to gun confiscations. He said those arguments are "bogus" and "beyond the pale of anything anybody is considering or proposing."

"We don't need the NRA to be posturing around to 'protect those rights,' because they don't need to be protected," Dayton said. "They're sanctified in the constitution and every politician I know who's elected to office — Republican, Democrat and the like — understand that that's a right, and no one is going to take it away."

Dayton made the comments as a House committee held a hearing on a DFL-sponsored bill for universal background checks. During that hearing, an NRA official said the proposal is "wrong," and his organization will continue to fight against it. The committee is expected to vote on the bill Tuesday evening.

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