Posted on 09/02/2025 8:19:33 AM PDT by DFG
Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday said he will call a special session for Minnesota lawmakers to vote on a package of gun control measures, although passage seems unlikely in a closely divided Legislature.
Walz, after welcoming Deerwood Elementary School students to their first day of school in Eagan, said Minnesota needs to take action following a mass shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis that killed 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski and wounded 21 others last week.
“If Minnesota lets this moment slide and we determine that it’s okay for little ones to not be safe in a school environment or a church environment, then shame on us,” Walz said. “I’m going to call (lawmakers) back.”
The governor said he will release a gun control package this week that will include an assault weapons ban.
Walz said he plans to call a special session even if he gets zero commitments from Republicans to vote for his gun control measures.
Republicans — led by Speaker Lisa Demuth and who are strongly aligned with the gun rights movement — have 67 members in the House, while Democrats have 66 in their ranks following the June assassination of Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucus leader Melissa Hortman.
Walz and DFL lawmakers are hoping the shooting of a church filled with schoolchildren would pressure Republicans to accede to new laws. A special election to replace Hortman in safely blue District 34B is Sept. 16.
The special session will force Republicans to vote on gun control a little more than a year from a crucial midterm election when all 201 legislative seats will be on the ballot.
“When (Republicans) talk to the parents of these children and they hear the public speaking out, they get to make a decision. Are they going to stand in the way of having an honest debate? Now, we might not get it done in there, but the idea that you would not even come back and make a debate, I think, is untenable,” the governor said.
A majority of Minnesotans supported banning assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines in a MinnPost poll from 2022.
Democrats had full control of the Legislature in 2023 and 2024, but they failed to pass a statewide ban on assault weapons. They did pass a slate of other gun control measures, however. They instituted an extreme risk protection order, or “red flag,” law that allows family members or police to ask judges to take guns from people deemed a danger to themselves or others and passed universal background check requirements.
Although a special legislative session would force Republicans to take potentially difficult votes on gun regulation, it would also give them an opportunity to propose legislation of their own. Although only the governor can call the Legislature into special session, only lawmakers have the power to adjourn.
Republicans are already signaling they will make a special session about culture war issues given the Annunciation Church shooter’s apparent trans identity.
Rep. Drew Roach, R-Farmington, said in a press release that he will propose a bill repealing a ban on conversion therapy if lawmakers are called into a special session. The law, passed in 2023, prohibits mental health professionals from providing therapy that seeks to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, dismissed the idea of a special election in a statement last week.
“Republicans are committed to addressing the root causes of violence, supporting safe schools and increasing access to mental health resources. Calling for a special session without even consulting legislative leaders is not a serious way to begin. This is a partisan stunt from a governor who continues to engage in destructive political rhetoric,” Johnson said.
Walz cautioned Republicans to keep a special session focused on gun control.
“If we call a special session, and (Republicans) decide to deflect this to something else, my guess is that that Minnesotans are not going to be too happy about that,” Walz said.
The governor on Tuesday said he’s open to proposing more resources for mental health in his gun control package, but guns are the culprit in mass shootings.
“I am not going to allow anyone to try and make the case that the United States is unique in either mental health issues or other things,” Walz said. “The thing that makes America unique in terms of shootings is we just have more guns and the wrong types of guns that are on the streets.”
Walz didn’t provide a timeline for when he plans to call lawmakers back to session, but he will likely wait at least until the House returns to a tie after the Sept. 16 special election.
Dem: “We can’t penalize the entire trans-community, and their allies, for the actions of one individual.”
Republican: “Then we can’t punish the much larger community of gun owners for the actions of one individual.”
Yet the Mother never reported her screwed up kid, so worthless.
Walz in an AHO.
You mean the mental instability? Tampon Timmy can relate.
One of his tampon boys murdered children.
Pritzker did the same thing and every sheriff in the state told him in a letter to go pound sand.
Howzabout mental health outreach to communities that have isolated themselves?
In Hawaii the foundational document is NOT the constitution of the US, but rather the aloha spirit whatever the hell that is. I suppose using that precedent each state could substitute anything for the constitution. In blue states it could be the Democrat party platform or the Communist Manifesto.
Unlike most Midwestern and Southern states, there are still a handful of Democrats who are not from large urban areas like Minneapolis-St. Paul or college towns. Duluth is a mostly white, blue collar area that has remained a Democratic stronghold, unlike towns in Ohio, West Virginia, or Pennsylvania with similar demographics. However, the Trump era has seen the shrinkage of the Democratic margin of victory to 13 percentage points from 25 plus with Obama, Kerry, Gore, and Clinton. Some of these Democrats may be old school union members who like hunting and self-defense.
“Assault weapon” is a totally contrived artificial category. It’s completely non specific and non technical. That’s what they want because any weapon or practically any object can be used in an assault.
These bastards do the same thing every time one of their minions self-destructs and takes innocent people with them — they attempt to advance their agenda to strip the law-abiding of their rights while the corpses of the victims are still warm.
Never once do they talk about hamstringing their murderous minions.
I live in Minnesota. I cannot purchase a pistol or an AR-15 because it has a pistol grip. In order to buy one I would have to go to the Sheriffs office every year and fill out a Permit to Purchase form. They do a more extensive background check. I would still have to fill out the standard federal form at the gun shop. I’ve never committed a crime and the worst traffic violation was speeding tickets.
Ban crossdressers who are mentally ill.
Walz is too stupid to remember: When guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns ... of course if you work for the government your armed security is secure.
5. Make murder illlegal...oh wait.
The trans gendered church shooter also used a shot gun and a pistol so banning “ assault rifles” would not have stopped this massacre of innocents. Buffoon Walz is just playing that old leftist card of gun control.
Never forget Democrats will gladly /joyfully put you in a DNC run Auswictz .
RATS don't do common sense.
Never forget Democrats will gladly /joyfully put you in a DNC run Auswictz .
Amazing since there is no such thing
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