For Immediate Release
Motion Seeks to Overturn Entire Conceal & Carry Law; Hearing Set for June 3
Date: April 29, 2004
Contact: Kelly Griffith, Marketing Manager, 612-492-7514
Email: kgriffith@fredlaw.com
Minneapolis, MN April 28, 2004 - April 28, 2004 - Today, on the first anniversary of the passage of the so-called "Conceal & Carry Law," 33 religious institutions filed a motion in Ramsey County District Court to have the Law declared unconstitutional. The motion will be heard on June 3.
The religious institutions' motion for summary judgment asserts that the Conceal & Carry Law was passed as part of a bill that includes more than one subject, in violation of the Minnesota Constitution. The Minnesota House of Representatives improperly attached the Conceal & Carry Law to a Department of Natural Resources bill already passed unanimously by the Minnesota Senate, says the motion.
"Our motion papers contend that the Minnesota House hijacked a non-controversial bill and used it as an unlawful vehicle for conceal-and-carry," said David Lillehaug, one of the attorneys for the religious institutions. "If the motion is granted, the Conceal & Carry Law will be null and void."
The motion also alleges that the Conceal & Carry Law's provisions regarding parking areas and tenant spaces are unconstitutional. The Law prevents owners of parking areas and tenant spaces from banning gun-carriers. The motion contends that this violates the rights of private property owners under both the Minnesota and the United States Constitutions.
The religious institutions making the motion represent the Jewish, Unitarian, UCC, Eckankar, Lutheran, Episcopal, Methodist, and Catholic faiths. They all contend that the Conceal & Carry Law infringes on their right to control their religious properties. That issue is also part of the motion.
Oral argument on the motion will be held on Thursday, June 3, 2004, at 11 a.m. before District Judge John Finley, Courtroom 1110, Ramsey County Courthouse.
Background on the Ramsey County case, and another lawsuit in Hennepin County against the Conceal & Carry Law, may be found at www.fredlaw.com/news/conceal/.
Fredrikson & Byron is a 170-attorney law firm based in Minneapolis. It has an office in London and affiliates in Mexico City, Warsaw, Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. The firm's primary areas of practice include banking, corporate, employment, healthcare, intellectual property, international, litigation, real estate, securities, and tax. We serve a broad range of clients, including multinational corporations, public companies, privately-held businesses, entrepreneurs, government agencies, and family businesses. Fredrikson & Byron's attorneys also work with individuals on estate planning, family law, and immigration matters. The firm's web site is www.fredlaw.com.