Tea Party Republican (and likely American Legislative Exchange Council member) Cindy Pugh (R-Chanhassen) is getting a lot of welcomed attention for her $125 per head fundraiser on Saturday that trades a gun safety course required for a carry permit for the supporter's cash.
Most of the media relates to gun politics; Bluestem scrutinized whether the event violated state campaign finance regulations. Check out the assessment by the head of the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board in Did Watchdog miss potential Cindy Pugh campaign finance violation to stir pot on guns?
Pugh isn't endingher focus on gun rights with that event for fundraising (although we do hope her committee works with the board staff to make sure no laws are broken) but will be holding An Evening With Cindy Pugh & Rep. Tony Cornish (R-Good Thunder) on August 27 at the School II Bistro and Wine Bar. Here the description:
State Representative Cindy Pugh invites you to an event featuring special guest State Representative Tony Cornish, one of Minnesota's leaders on 2nd Amendment Rights and issues. This social hour event will provide guests an opportunity to visit with fellow conservatives, as well as to hear first hand from Reps. Pugh and Cornish about what they are doing in St. Paul to advocate for gun owners across the state.
There's no charge listed, so it doesn't look like a fundraiser. We're certain this isn't what Cornish had in mind when talked about getting permitted gun owners inside schools, but School II isn't a gun-free zone. A cheerful employee told Bluestem that "we don't mind" if gun owners with permits carry in the bar when we called to ask, so carry permit holders can bring some heat to the discussion if they choose.
Pugh on gun rights: in-the-trenches advocate or fundraising opportunist?
The sudden tight focus on gun rights is a new development for Pugh, however much some progressive bloggers might want to characterize her as a "gun nut" (her nuttiness surrounds other issues like Agenda21 phobia and she told the SW Metro Tea Party on November 19, 2012, "illiterate, disengaged & lazy voters--and Muslims").
In the past session, Pugh was the chief-author of two bills, neither of which dealt with firearms. She didn't sign on to the one permit-related bill for which Cornish was the chief author, nor did she join Cornish in supporting the bipartisan Hilstrom bill.
Both legislators signed on to HF419, Steve Drazkowski's (R-Mazeppa) go-nowhere bill described as:
providing that any new federal law designed to ban or limit any personal firearm, magazine, accessory, or ammunition or to require the registration of any firearm or firearm owner shall be unenforceable.
Unlike Cornish, Pugh isn't a member of the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee, so her role in hearings on proposed firearm-related legislation was limited.
Nor was the issue prominent in her legislation updates to her constituents. In her February 4, 2013 legislative update, Pugh wrote:
This week, the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee will be hearing testimony on proposed gun control legislation. I greatly appreciate all the constituent feedback I’ve already received on this topic. If this is an issue of importance to you, I encourage you to come to the Capitol to voice your comments or concerns. You can find more information here about the hearings.
Her next legislative update, released on February 12, noted:
As you likely heard, the House Public Safety Committee held three days of hearings last week on proposed gun control legislation. I heard from countless constituents who told me they do not want to see any further restrictions on gun ownership. I want to thank everyone who called, emailed, and visited with me in person about this issue. To be clear, I am a firm supporter of the Second Amendment and will not be voting to restrict your rights to gun ownership.
Bluestem only found those two mentions of gun rights issues in her updates (all found here) and the paragraphs didn't "lead" the updates. With changes to gun laws fairly dead in the water after last session (and Governor Dayton coming out against limiting the right of carry permit holders to bring their gun to the state capitol), it's curious for Pugh to position herself as the Great Defender on this issue with so slight a record.
Last week, Pugh signed the Durbin Response letter circulated at ALEC's annual convention (top of p. 13). The organization's summary of the letter:
The American Legislative Exchange Council released today a letter signed by nearly 300 state legislators from 39 states that expresses dismay over Senator Durbin’s letter inquiring into businesses and organizations’ participation in the American Legislative Exchange Council.
For background on Durbin's letter, see After Trayvon Martin Verdict, Durbin Pushes 300 Companies on ‘Stand Your Ground’ Laws. While freshman legislator Pugh may have signed on to the letter at the convention, PR Watch reports in More Corporations Drop Off ALEC's Conference Brochure that corporations are backing off in sponsoring the event.
We're guessing gun rights poll well among the Republican base in her district.
Image: The invitation to the Cindy and Tony show. Since Cornish isn't a right-to-work-for-less-money sort of guy, it's unlikely he's an ALEC member, taking his ideas instead from the NRA.
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