Senator urges House to take up Minnesota gun-violence package after Annunciation shooting

A state senator said a comprehensive gun-violence prevention package that passed the Minnesota Senate should move to the Minnesota House, arguing the measure combines bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines with mental-health and school-safety funding after the Annunciation Church shooting.

The senator, speaking in an interview, described the package as “holistic,” saying it bundles a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, a ban on ghost guns, funding for mental-health professionals and mobile crisis teams, and school-safety measures for both private and public schools. “This was something that is personal to me,” the senator said, describing outreach to families affected by shootings.

Why it matters: The senator said the vote in the Senate was historic, marking the first time the Senate passed legislation to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in the state’s history. The senator said the bill passed on party lines in the Senate and is now awaiting action in the House.

The senator said the package grew out of work groups convened after the Annunciation shooting and consultations with families and community members. She singled out parents of victims who met with lawmakers and asked explicitly for both bans and expanded mental-health supports, saying those conversations shaped the bill’s mix of restrictions and services.

On legal concerns, the senator told the interviewer that similar bans in other states have been upheld in court. “This issue has been tested in the part of the line number of states that have passed the ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and that courts have held that up,” she said. The senator did not provide specific court citations during the interview.

On politics and public opinion, the senator acknowledged that the vote could carry political consequences for lawmakers in swing districts but said public support is strong. She cited polling numbers, saying more than 60% of Minnesotans back the measures and at one point referenced a figure above 69%, without specifying the polls’ sources or dates.

House prospects: The senator said she had been pressing House Republicans to bring the package to a vote and pointed to Representative Jamie Long’s request that the bill be pulled in an earlier House action. “I’m putting pressure on Lisa Demuth and leader this kind masking them take the bill,” the senator said, urging House members to let voters see where they stand.

What it would do: According to the senator’s description, the package would ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, ban ghost guns, increase funding for mental-health professionals and mobile crisis teams, and expand school-safety measures to private and public schools. The senator said red-flag laws passed in 2023 were included in the broader set of reforms.

Next steps: The senator said the next step is for the Minnesota House to take up and vote on the package. She urged House leaders to put the bill on the floor so members can record their positions. No House vote had been scheduled, and the senator did not provide a Senate vote tally.

The interview closed with the senator reiterating the goal of making the package law so that communities, and particularly children, are better protected.