Walz urges tougher gun measures, calls for ban on "weapons of war" and ghost-gun fixes

Gov. Tim Walz urged the Legislature to expand gun-safety laws and early intervention resources, citing recent mass shootings and community trauma.

Walz told the joint convention Minnesota has already enacted measures such as red-flag laws and expanded background checks; he urged further steps including banning "weapons of war" and high-capacity magazines, closing the ghost-gun loophole, requiring safe storage and reporting stolen firearms, and exploring a firearm-insurance requirement.

He framed the measures as iterative steps built on prior laws and on an executive action that created a statewide safety council focused on preventing gun violence. The governor did not present specific bill language or enforcement mechanisms in the speech.

Next steps: The proposals will require legislative drafting and committee review. Lawmakers will need to weigh constitutional considerations, enforcement mechanisms and potential statutory changes.

Attribution: Policy recommendations and direct language were taken from Gov. Walzs remarks to the joint convention.