DFLer stages House floor sit-in, wants stronger gun laws

Rep. Erin Maye Quade speaks to a crowd at the Minnesota State Capitol
Rep. Erin Maye Quade speaks to a crowd at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul during a rally against sexual harassment on Friday, Nov. 17, 2017.
Evan Frost | MPR News 2017

A Democratic lawmaker is holding a 24-hour sit-in on the Minnesota House floor to protest the lack of action on gun legislation this year.

Rep. Erin Maye Quade began the protest Tuesday morning. Several Democratic colleagues and one suburban Republican joined at the start to share stories of Minnesotans who were fatally shot.

Maye Quade is a first-term lawmaker from Apple Valley. She hopes to call attention to the need for stronger gun restrictions.

Gun laws are under scrutiny nationwide after February's deadly school shooting in Florida. But any changes in Minnesota have faced stiff resistance from both Republican majorities and rural Democrats.

Maye Quade and others are calling for expanded background checks and a legal way for family members to temporarily restrict a loved one's gun access.

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