Annunciation families putting pressure on GOP Minnesota House speaker to bring gun control bill to vote
Pressure is building on a top Minnesota lawmaker to take action in the wake of last year's deadly school shooting in Minneapolis.
This year's legislative session ends in six days, and Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth hasn't allowed a gun control bill to hit the floor. That's why Annunciation Catholic School parents are mounting a new letter-writing and calling campaign.
Democrats are accusing Demuth of holding the bill hostage, which would ban semi-automatic weapons and large magazines.
The Senate already passed it, and DFL Gov. Tim Walz says he'll sign it. Supporters say even if Demuth is against the bill, she should at least put it up for a vote.
Annunciation parents are furious. Brock Safe's youngest daughter, Astoria, was shot and wounded. His older daughter, Estella, is a survivor.
"To just simply say I do not want to bring it to the floor essentially because you don't want to know what the outcome's going to be because you're so worried about your own political future is nauseating," Safe said.
Tess Rada says that although her daughter, Lila, wasn't physically hurt in the attack, she will never be the same.
"The fact that it's not even being brought to the floor to be voted on is really, really disappointing," Rada said. "It kind of just feels like maybe Speaker Demuth is shielding them from having to make a hard vote."
Parents are joined by energized DFL members like Rep. Jamie Long.
"It is a power of the speaker, and so it's fully in Lisa Demuth's control," Long said. "But right now she is holding onto the bill so it doesn't even move forward in the process. It hasn't been reported by the House that we've received it even."
The House is tied 67 Republicans and 67 Democrats. It's not clear if there was a vote in the House it would pass, but it would force every member to take a vote — with just six months until all members of the state Legislature are up for reelection.
"Folks can vote how they want, they can show Minnesotans whether they support this package or not," Long said. "But to hold the bill hostage and not even allow a vote is really outrageous."
Walz joined in on the let-them-vote chorus, writing this on social media: "All the victims are asking for is a vote. If Republicans are against it, they can vote no."
Safe says some parents feel Demuth assured them she would allow a vote.
In a statement late Monday afternoon, a GOP spokesperson said, "The bill has not passed a single committee in the House, and requires stops in Judiciary, Public Safety, Education Finance and Human Services Finance. The Speaker has said since September that she will not prevent a floor vote if the bill completes the House Committee process and she stands by that."
The explanation is completely different than the one the DFL says is needed and they insist it is Demuth who is keeping it from going to House committees.
