Rahamim: Disappointed, but progress on gun control

A St. Louis Park teenager who began lobbying for tighter gun controls after his father was killed in a workplace shooting says he's disappointed that nothing will change this year in the Legislature.

But Sami Rahamim says he wasn't shocked to hear that House Speaker Paul Thissen had ruled out any votes in that chamber this year.

Rahamim says he and others on his side of the issue say they knew it wasn't going to be a "one-hit wonder" to pass tougher gun laws. He says progress was made.

Rahamim calls gun violence a problem that "could be so easily fixed." And he says the majority of the public agrees with his side.

Thissen says Wednesday he decided to yank any gun bills from consideration this year because he doesn't believe there are the votes to pass them in the House. The Minneapolis Democrat says he's encouraging gun control supporters to keep working on proposals with an eye on next year's session.

Some Democrats came to the Capitol in January pushing expanded background checks and other gun regulations. But they faced intense opposition from gun rights groups and had trouble winning support from Democrats who represent rural districts.