Philando Castile's death is likely to raise policing issues next session

Tony Cornish says he enjoyed the 2015 session, and got most of what he had wanted out of it.

Four years after she was shot in the head and went on to inspire millions with her recovery, Gabby Giffords continues to push for tighter gun-control laws, but few candidates are willing to rally to her cause.

Whether the 2013 legislative session in Minnesota was a successful one depends on which Democrat you ask. While many long-sought DFL priorities were achieved at the end of the five-month session, including gay marriage and increased spending on education, a handful of high-priority issues were ultimately shelved in 2013 in the hustle and bustle of crafting a $38 billion budget.

DFL House Speaker Paul Thissen said Wednesday that the proposal lacked the necessary support to pass this session and would not be brought to the chamber floor.

After debating a bill to expand background checks to gun shows, private sales and online sales for nearly two hours Wednesday morning, the House Public Safety Finance and Policy Committee reconvened in the evening only for a moment to lay over the bill instead of taking a vote, leaving the fate of background checks hanging in limbo.

In recent years there has been little interest at the Capitol in proposals to curtail the availability of guns. Most bills that have been introduced have made little progress.

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has endorsed Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack's bid for a second term. The NRA had previously in 2010 endorsed veteran Democratic Congressman Jim Oberstar, who Cravaack beat in an upset.