Minnesota gun owners achieved some major victories during the past two years. Thanks to the fierce advocacy that Rep. Dan Fabian, R-Roseau, and Rep. Deb Kiel, R-Crookston, put into this issue, the following changes were made.

▇ Suppressors were legalized. You now can use suppressors while target shooting. Minnesota was the 40th state to legalize suppressors.

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▇ Interstate purchase-of-firearms rules were clarified to become more consumer friendly.

Carry reciprocity was reformed to make it easier to carry firearms in both North Dakota and Minnesota.

▇ Emergency powers were limited so that the state cannot confiscate a person's guns during a time of emergency, as has happened in other areas of the country.

▇ Capitol carry notification was eliminated, making it sufficient to have only a permit while at the state Capitol.

Gov. Dayton had threatened to veto this legislation. I am so grateful that people such as Fabian and Kiel kept up the pressure and were able to deliver these common-sense, user-friendly victories for law-abiding gun owners.

I hope that people will join me in supporting Fabian, Kiel and State Senate candidate Mark Johnson in this fall's election. We need their strong voices in St. Paul.

Thank you, Reps. Fabian and Kiel, for standing up for our Second Amendment.

Because we now have one of the most anti-gun governors in Minnesota history, Fabian and Kiel will need as much support in St. Paul as they can get. Johnson is the endorsed candidate for the Minnesota Senate. He is a strong Second Amendment supporter.

Let's send him to St. Paul to get another conservative voice in state government.

Merlin Olson

Hallock, Minn.