>> ERIC: LAWMAKERS RETURNED FROM THEIR SPRING BREAK AND DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS TRADED ETHICS COMPLAINTS AGAINST EACH OTHER IN THE TIED HOUSE.

POLITICAL REPORTER MARY LAHAMMER HAS A LOOK AT THE BIPARTISAN REACTION TO ONE ASPECT OF AN ETHICS QUESTION DEALING WITH GUNS.

>> DISINGENUOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT PROCESS.

>> Mary: ETHICS COMPLAINTS CHASTISE REPRESENTATIVES WALTER HUDSON AND ELLEETTE ENGEN FOR LEAVING COMMITTEE AND GOING TO A BAR.

THE COMPLAINT ALSO ASKS IF THEY WERE INTOXICATED ON THE FLOOR THE EVENING ENGEN WAS LATER ARRESTED FOR DUI AND HUDSON HANDED OVER HIS PERMITTED WEAPON.

OFFICERS FOUND HIM IMPAIRED BUT PLIENT.

PERMIT HOLDERS CANNOT CARRY PAST .04.

>> REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON POTENTIALLY CARRYING, HAVING A WEAPON ON THE FLOOR POTENTIALLY.

>> YOU SAW THE POLICE REPORTS COME OUT.

FROM ACTIVITY THAT WAS AFTER THE LEGISLATIVE DAY.

THAT IS WHAT I'M BASING THIS ON.

>> Mary: HAVE YOU ASKED HIM DIRECTLY, THOUGH, F HE WAS CARRYING -- >> AGAIN, THE REPORTS THAT YOU SAW, CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAVE HAD, THE DECISIONS I MADE WERE BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAD.

>> Mary: THE SPEAKER SAW NOTHING IN THEIR BEHAVIOR ON THE FLOOR TO INDICATE THERE WAS A PROBLEM.

BUT ONE FIRST RESPONDER, A FIREFIGHTER, HAS CONCERNS.

IN YOUR ROLE AS A FIRST RESPONDER, HAVE YOU SEEN THE RESULTS OF GUNS MIXING WITH ALCOHOL?

>> OH, YEAH, IT MAKES THAT DECISION MAKING A LOT LESS SHARP, LESS REALISTIC.

MORE DANGEROUS.

>> Mary: FOLLOWING THE DRINKING INCIDENT, SEVERAL LAWMAKERS REMINDED THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE DFL RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP CAUCUS.

>> IT HIGHLIGHTS WHAT RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP SHOULD LOOK LIKE.

FORMING THIS GUN OWNERS CAUCUS, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP CAUCUS, THESE CONVERSATIONS GO BACK TO LAST SESSION, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT HAVE QUESTIONS AND FEEL LIKE THEY'RE KIND OF PUSHED OUT OF A CERTAIN BOX AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO.

>> Mary: REPRESENTATIVE HUDSON CALLED THE ETHICS COMPLAINT A, QUOTE, DUMB MOVE.

YOU'D THINK THEY'D HAVE LEARNED BY NOW.

NEVER GIVE ME A PLATFORM.

>> Mary: ARE YOU DISAPPOINTED IN YOUR COLLEAGUE?

>> I AM.

I MEAN, IT'S DISAPPOINTING, I MEAN, WE HAVE -- SURE, WE HAVE DIFFERENCES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

BUT I'D LIKE TO THINK WE CAN MAKE BETTER CHOICES.

I CAN'T UT MYSELF IN HIS SHOES AND SAY EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD DO.

BUT IF IT WAS ME, I WOULD SURRENDER MY PERMIT TO CARRY.

>> Mary: THE SPEAKER REMOVED BOTH MEMBERS FROM ALL COMMITTEES.

>> I DO THINK IT WAS AN APPROPRIATE EASURE AS SPEAKER AND LEADER OF OUR CAUCUS.

I DID CHOOSE TO REMOVE THEM FROM THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES.

THEY ARE STILL, YOU SAW THEM ON THE HOUSE FLOOR, THEY'RE STILL VERY MUCH A PART OF OUR CAUCUS AND THE WORK BEING DONE.

WHEN YOU LOOK BACK JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WHEN THE DEMOCRATS HAD THEIR OWN ISSUE VERY SIMILAR TO THIS, THERE WERE NO LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS TAKEN AGAINST TWO DEMOCRAT MEMBERS EVER.

ON SAME DUI-TYPE SITUATIONS.

>> Mary: A NUMBER OF LAWMAKERS FROM BOTH PARTIES AND BOTH CHAMBERS HAVE HAD DUIs IN THE PAST.

BUT THIS IS THE FIRST INCIDENT WE KNOW OF INVOLVING DRINKING AND A WEAPON.

DO YOU THINK AND FEEL LIKE THERE'S ANY BIPARTISAN SOLUTIONS THEN ON THIS ISSUE OF RESPONSIBLE GUN OWNERSHIP AND GUN CONTROL?

>> I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE.

RIGHT?

LIKE I THINK PEOPLE IN OUR DISTRICTS, PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITIES ARE DEMANDING THAT WE DO SOMETHING.

>> Mary: A DFL SENATE ORIGINALLY APPROVED THE PERMIT TO CARRY LAW IN 2003, RURAL DEMOCRATS TRADITIONALLY SUPPORTED SECOND AMENDMENT ISSUES.

>> I GREW UP IN TWO HARBORS, LIVE IN DULUTH NOW.

AND, YOU KNOW, GUNS WERE A BIG PART OF THE CULTURE GROWING UP, RIGHT?

KIDS WOULD BRING THEM TO SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO GO HUNTING AFTER SCHOOL WITH THEIR FRIENDS.

WE ALL WENT THROUGH FIREARM SAFETY CLASSES WHEN WE WERE 11, 12 YEARS OLD.

IT'S NEVER BEEN LIKE JUST MY SOLE IDENTITY.

BUT FIREARMS HAVE BEEN A PART OF MY LIFE FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER.

>> Mary: FOR YEARS WE'VE COVERED THE FACT MORE LAWMAKERS ARE CARRYING WEAPONS AT THE CAPITOL AND THREATS ARE INCREASING.

>> I, TOO, HAVE BEEN THREATENED BY PEOPLE WHO WERE WEARING ANTI-GUN T-SHIRTS.

WHO CAME UP AND SAID, WE HOPE, REPRESENTATIVE NASH, THAT YOU ARE SHOT AND KILLED IN FRONT OF YOUR FAMILY.

SO LET'S WRAP OUR MINDS AROUND THAT, FOLKS.

LET'S WRAP OUR MINDS THE FACT THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUT THIS INTO LAW ND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CHEERING YOU ON FROM THE SIDELINES WOULD LIKE TO SEE ME SHOT AND KILLED IN FRONT OF MY FAMILY.

ARE WE OKAY WITH THAT?

>> Mary: DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE RULES RESTRICTIONS AROUND CARRY IN THE CAPITOL, ON THE FLOOR, AS IT PERTAINS TO DRINKING?

BECAUSE THAT RENEWED THE WHOLE ISSUE OF GUNS IN OUR STATE.

>> YEAH.

I MEAN, THIS CONVERSATION GOES BACK YEARS WHEN MELISSA WAS MURDERED AND MARK WERE MURDERED IN THEIR HOUSE, WHEN SENATOR HOFFMAN AND HIS WIFE WERE SHOT, LIKE THAT RENEWED THIS CONVERSATION AROUND GUN VIOLENCE AND GUN SAFETY.

AND THEN YOU SAW WHAT HAPPENED AT ANNUNCIATION, AND THAT HELPED PUSH THIS ISSUE TO THE FOREFRONT AGAIN.

THIS IS ANOTHER PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.

>> Mary: THIS PERMIT CARRIER SAYS IT'S TIME TO LEAVE IT TO THE PROFESSIONALS.

>> I KNOW A NUMBER OF FOLKS DO CARRY.

AND MOST OF THEM, WHETHER IT BE IN THE CAPITOL OR OUTSIDE THE CAPITOL, ARE GOING TO DO IT IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY.

WITH THE SECURITY MEASURES THAT WE'VE SEEN HERE, DO I THINK T'S NECESSARY TO PROTECT EVERYBODY HERE?

NO, WE'VE GOT PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE DOING THAT.

>> Mary: THE KILLING OF PERMIT HOLDER ALEX PRETTI ALSO BROUGHT AWARENESS THAT MINNESOTANS OF MANY BACKGROUNDS CAN AND DO LEGALLY CARRY GUNS.

>> I'VE GOT A TON OF LIBERAL FRIENDS THAT LIKE TO GO SHOOTING THAT CARRY, THAT GO -- DO ALL THE THINGS.

HAVING A FIREARM AND BEING RESPONSIBLE ISN'T A