Restrict the mentally ill, not guns, NRA president tells Minnesotans

NRA president
National Rifle Association president David Keene addressed a crowd at The Conservative Case for Criminal Justice Reform forum at the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation in St. Paul, Minn. Monday, Jan. 14, 2013.
MPR Photo/Jeffrey Thompson

Today on the MPR News Update, the leader of the NRA visits Minnesota, assigning blame for bike-car crashes, lagging gambling revenue for the new Vikings stadium, and a new twist for ALS patients.

GUN VIOLENCE: National Rifle Association president David Keene, visiting Minnesota, says he'd like lawmakers to pay more attention to treatment for violent, mentally ill people - rather than restricting access to guns.

EXECUTIVE ACTION: Meanwhile, the plan for reducing gun violence that the White House will release this week includes 19 steps that don't require legislative action by Congress.

SEX TRAFFICKING: We start it off with a new Department of Public Safety report that outlines a vision for treating and sheltering youth victims of sex trafficking.

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CASINO PROCEEDS: A federal appeals court has ruled against the city of Duluth in its long-running contract dispute with the Fond du Lac Band over the band's downtown casino.

BEWARE OF CYCLISTS AND DRIVERS: Minneapolis drivers and cyclists are both to blame in many bike/vehicle crashes, according to a new survey released by the city.

MNSCU CONTRACT: Faculty union reps for Minnesota's seven state universities have reached a tentative contract agreement with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities officials.

EDUCATION SPENDING: Early childhood education programs are the latest in a growing list of education spending proposals new DFL-controlled Legislature appears ready to consider this session.

OWNING THE AG BUDGET: The Rules Committee in the Minnesota House has rebuffed efforts to move oversight of the Agriculture Finance budget from the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Finance Committee

LAGGING GAMBLING REVENUE: You might have thought the discussion of a new Vikings stadium at the Capitol was over. But the financing plan for the new stadium is off to a slow start and a House committee wants to know why.

WATCHING THE DEBT COLLECTORS: Attorney General Lori Swanson says debt collectors often file lawsuits with questionable evidence, and sometimes they target the wrong person. She wants stricter requirements for the process.

FORE! ASH BORERS: Minneapolis Parks forestry crews are cutting down hundreds of ash trees at the Fort Snelling Golf Club this week, the result of an emerald ash borer infestation found months ago.

Also on the website:

LIVING WITH ALS: In our 10th report following Bruce Kramer's journey with Lou Gehrig's disease, we hear about his reaction to the end of a drug trial in which he was participating.

PRINCE AT THE DAKOTA: Music fans have lately noticed a gaping hole in The Dakota's calendar of events. Now they know what's up: Prince is going to be playing a series of six events there this week.

PEDALING DOPE: In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Lance Armstrong has finally come clean after years of bitter and forceful denials that he used performance enhancing drugs.

SPEAKING OF DOPE (THE OTHER KIND): A new analysis is challenging a report that suggests regular marijuana smoking during the teen years can lead to a long-term drop in IQ.