S.F. No. 684 - Summary

• Establishes that every Minnesota citizen has a fundamental constitutional right to carry firearms openly or concealed without a permit, though obtaining a permit remains optional.

• Makes permit issuance optional while maintaining sheriffs' burden of proof for denials and establishing permit issuance as prima facie evidence of qualification to carry.

• Expands penalties for violations of pistol-carrying restrictions to include authority revocation for one year (first violation of clauses 1-5) or 180-day suspension (clause 6 violations), applies to both permit and non-permit carriers.

• Creates new offense making it a misdemeanor for public officials to arrest, stop, harass, or wrongfully deny permits for lawful firearm possession, with personal liability for attorney fees and costs.

• Repeals existing statutory provisions requiring permits to carry pistols in public places and exemptions for peace officers to display permits, while instructing the revisor to draft conforming legislation.