Narrowly divided Minnesota Legislature could hinder gun control changes during special session
Gov. Tim Walz confirmed Tuesday that he wants a special session to vote on a gun control package which will include an assault weapons ban. But a narrowly divided legislature will make any sweeping changes a tough sell.
"I'm going to need some Republicans to break with the orthodoxy and say that we need to do something on guns," Walz said.
Rob Doar, the senior vice president of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, said he doesn't believe new gun control proposals will pass.
"I understand the need to look at potential gaps in the systems," Doar said. "But it seems like this is being used as a mechanism to enact a much larger, broader gun control agenda with many items that have nothing to do with the tragedy."
Gun violence advocates, however, point to the recent success Minnesota has had in passing gun safety policies.
"In 2023, we were able to pass extreme risk protections orders or red flag laws that are really useful, have proven in other states to be useful in preventing mass shootings as well as firearm suicides," said Maggie Emery, executive director of Protect Minnesota.
In 2023, a DFL-controled legislature also passed expanded background checks on people buying guns.
Then in 2024, the legislature boosted penalties for straw gun purchases after three first responders were killed in Burnsville. It had bipartisan support, but Republicans didn't support other provisions including a ban on binary triggers, a device that can double the rate of fire. Just last month, a judge struck it down.
Doar says he hopes measures will be taken to increase security at schools and places of worship along with expanding mental health options.
"Investing in community programs to make people aware of the resources available, to help loved ones in crisis, connect them with those resources," he said.
"Increasing resources for mental health care that will not fix the problem," said Emery. "The problem is that when someone is in crisis, they have easy access to a weapon of war and they can use it to shoot 20 people in one minute."
Even with a trifecta, DFLers weren't able to get a couple gun laws across the finish line, including safe gun storage, and reporting requirements for lost or stolen guns.
A bill that would've banned assault weapons and large-capacity magazines was introduced, but never got a hearing.