Obama Takes Gun Push on the Road President Obama is taking his plan to overhaul the nation's gun laws on the road today to Minneapolis, Minn., a Democratic-leaning state that exemplifies the complexities of reducing gun violence. The president is expected to highlight the strides the city, once nicknamed "Murder-apolis," has made to stem gun violence, including a push for stricter background checks for gun owners and efforts to prevent people with mental health issues from acquiring a gun. The city "has taken important steps to reduce gun violence and foster a conversation in the community about what further action is needed," according to the White House. Gun Control Laws in America The president's visit, his first trip outside the Beltway to tout his sweeping proposals to curb gun violence, comes four months after a mentally ill man open fired at a north Minneapolis business, killing six people and himself in the deadliest workplace shooting is the state's history. The shooter's family had tried to get him help but failed. Since then, law enforcement officials and lawmakers have sought to improve the state's background-check system and to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, efforts that have gained the attention of the Obama administration. Minneapolis has tackled such issues since gun violence peaked in the mid-1990s. After a surge in youth violence and homicide, the city launched an initiative in 2008 to provide more resources for at-risk youth and help rehabilitate those who had already committed crimes. The city credits the program with helping to reduce the city's crime rate. Local law enforcement officials have been advising the Obama administration as the president makes his push for tougher gun laws. Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau and Hennepin County Sheriff Richard Stanek met with Obama at the White House last month. Gun Appreciation Day Organizer: We're Not Extremists The president, who released his far-reaching plan to stem gun violence last month in the wake of the deadly shooting in Newtown, Conn., has called for universal background checks for all gun buyers. He has also proposed a ban on some assault-style weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips.