Concern Over Youth Using New Gun Range | Politics

A new bill in the Minnesota legislature would allow youth to use publicly-owned shooting ranges for firearm safety classes.

The Southeast Minnesota Public Safety Training Center will have a gun range, once its completed in 2013. But Olmsted County Sheriff David Mueller is concerned over security and an extra cost to taxpayers.

"I think there's a potential for this to be utilized but I think from the standpoint of the legislature we don't want to be in a position from a security standpoint or liability standpoint to expose some additional experiences of liability," said Sheriff Mueller.

Mueller says it could cost them an extra $500,000 to install baffling, so bullets don't go onto adjacent properties.

Republican Representative Mike Benson of Rochester says he supports the bill and sees it as an opportunity for law enforcement to work with kids on gun safety.