BISMARCK, N.D. (KFGO/KVRR) — A pair of bills under consideration by the North Dakota Legislature are dealing with gun regulations and self defense.
HB 1326 deals with the rules of self-defense. It would make it illegal for a person who can’t lawfully possess a firearm to use it in self-defense.
Supporters say the bill was created to deal with instances of gunfights between two criminals, while opponents say it will take away a person’s right to defend themselves. The bill received a Do-Not-Pass recommendation from the committee.
HB 1588 would change weapons rules about where you can’t bring a weapon, and who is exempt from those rules.
Changes to weapons laws in the bill include raising the permitted length of knife blades from five inches to six. It also adds penalties for using a binary trigger while committing a crime, making it a class C felony. The bill also protects entities from liability due to injury, death, and property damage caused by someone with a conceal carry permit.
The governor would also be added to the list of people like police and judges allowed to carry a weapon in places they would normally be banned.
The punishment for violations would go down from being an infraction to a fine of $100 for the first offense and $500 for subsequent offenses.
Rep. Pat Heinert, who sponsored the bill, says adding the governor to the exempt list is to keep him or her safe.
“My biggest distinction, in my mind, is we now have the governor out and about – typically with some form of armed escorts – and my biggest fear ever since we started this is somebody taking out one of those armed escorts to get to the governor and the governor having no authority to grab and protect himself” Heinert said.
The weapons bill also removes language that allows people in buildings owned or managed by state or city governments to store a firearm.
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