Walz, legislative leaders deadlocked on gun special session; another meeting Friday
Gov. Tim Walz and bipartisan legislative leaders remain deadlocked over whether to call a gun-control special session after Thursday talks produced no agreement and another meeting was scheduled for Friday; DFL lawmakers are pushing to ban new sales of assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines while GOP leaders say DFL bill language hasnât been produced and prefer focusing on school security and mental health. Workgroup hearings have been stymied by partisan fights amid emotional testimony from victimsâ families, and Walz â who has floated a constitutional amendment and plans a series of town halls (including Waconia) with advocates like Gabby Giffords â continues public outreach as negotiations continue.
đ Key Facts
- Gov. Tim Walz and bipartisan legislative leaders remain deadlocked over whether to convene a gunâfocused special session; they have met without agreement, plan further talks, and Walz has said he will call a special session but has not set a date.
- DFL proposals center on banning new sales of assaultâstyle/militaryâstyle weapons and highâcapacity magazines (Sen. Zaynab Mohamedâs draft also targets .50âcaliber and undetectable firearms), would require registration of existing owners, prohibit transfers, mandate surrender of unwanted weapons to the Minnesota BCA, and include exceptions for law enforcement, the military and licensed dealers.
- Negotiations and legislative workgroup hearings have stalled amid partisan disputes â including tense debate over safeâstorage rules â with GOP leaders saying they prefer focusing on school security and mentalâhealth measures and rejecting Walzâs characterization that they âwonât budge.â
- Opposition arguments from gunârights advocates and some lawmakers stress limited effect of bans (citing DOJ analysis of the 1994 federal AWB), call for more mentalâhealth interventions, and note practical hurdles such as shortages of psychiatric beds for civil commitments.
- Several moderate or swing lawmakers were identified as possible votes against new bans earlier in talks, but swingâdistrict DFL Sen. Judy Seeberger announced she now supports full bans on assaultâstyle weapons and highâcapacity magazines and is appearing with Walz at DFL town halls.
- Walz has shifted to public outreach while talks are deadlocked, headlining a series of gunâviolence town halls (including Waconia, Stillwater and Mounds View) that have featured or scheduled highâprofile guests such as Gabby Giffords and other DFL events.
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison publicly endorsed pursuing a constitutional amendment to ban assault weapons; a constitutionalâlaw expert noted the amendment route requires majority votes in both legislative chambers and a statewide majority (with nonâvotes counting as no) and warned passage is unlikely in a divided Legislature and could face federal legal challenges.
- Emotional testimony from parents, survivors and medical personnel â including graphic accounts of injuries from .223 rounds in the Annunciation shooting â has intensified public pressure and framed DFL leadersâ calls for urgent votes and comprehensive prevention measures combining limits on âweapons of war,â mentalâhealth supports and school safety.
đ Relevant Data
In 2023, Black Minnesotans comprised 7.6% of the state's population but accounted for 57.8% of firearm homicide victims, with a firearm homicide rate of 15.6 per 100,000 compared to 0.6 for White Minnesotans.
Gun Death in Minnesota â Violence Policy Center
In 2021, 76% of identified murder perpetrators in Minnesota were African-American, despite African-Americans comprising about 7% of the state's population.
The demographics of crime in Minnesota, with updated 2022 data â American Experiment
From 1982 to August 2025, 54% of mass shooters in the US were White, 17% Black, 8% Latino, and 6% Asian.
Mass shootings by shooterâs race U.S. 2025 â Statista
In US mass shootings from 1966 to 2023, the presence of assault weapons was associated with a median of 6 people killed and 6 nonfatally injured, compared to 5 killed and 2 injured without assault weapons.
Firearm Type and Number of People Killed in Publicly Targeted Fatal Mass Shooting Events â PMC
According to 2022 data, the racial and ethnic composition of Mounds View, Minnesota, is 64.3% White (Non-Hispanic), 11.2% Asian (Non-Hispanic), 9.7% Hispanic, and 5.3% Black.
Mounds View, MN â Data USA
đ° Sources (11)
Annunciation shooting: Parents, community demand change amid healing
New information:
- Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison publicly endorsed pursuing a constitutional amendment to ban assault weapons, saying it could pass the Legislature this session and go to voters next November.
- Parents and community members at a Mounds View town hall delivered emotional testimonies and called for bans on ARâstyle rifles and highâcapacity magazines.
- Specific survivor detail cited: a parent described injuries from .223 rounds at Annunciation, underscoring highâvelocity trauma concerns.
How one Minnesota swing-district Democrat decided to support an assault-style weapons ban
New information:
- DFL Sen. Judy Seeberger (Afton), a swingâdistrict moderate who had been undecided, now says she supports full bans on assaultâstyle weapons and highâcapacity magazines.
- Seeberger stated she will vote âyes on anything and everythingâ that will reduce gun violence.
- She is appearing with Gov. Tim Walz at a gunâviolenceâprevention town hall in Stillwater on Monday.
Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords pushes for action on gun laws in Minnesota
New information:
- Details of a DFL-hosted gun-violence prevention town hall at Waconia High School featuring Gabby Giffords and Gov. Tim Walz
- Walz publicly reiterated willingness to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot on gun policy
- Dr. Tim Kummer, first physician at the Annunciation shooting, described severity of injuries to a 12-year-old victim and rifle damage
- DFL House Leader Zach Stephenson called for comprehensive prevention, including removing 'weapons of war' and addressing mental health/school safety
- House Speaker Lisa Demuth criticized the event as a campaign-style rally and not truly open to the public; DFL said town halls are open and scheduled the next one for Rochester on Nov. 6
Walz to headline town hall in Waconia on gun violence
New information:
- Gov. Tim Walz will headline a town hall in Waconia focused on gun violence.
- The event adds a specific metro stop to the governorâs series of public town halls amid the specialâsession stalemate.
Walz says heâll hold town halls on guns without agreement on special session
New information:
- Gov. Tim Walz says he will hold town halls on guns despite no agreement with legislative leaders on convening a special session.
- The announcement signals a shift to public outreach as negotiations remain deadlocked.
Gov. Walz suggests constitutional amendment to address gun violence
New information:
- Gov. Tim Walz floated pursuing a Minnesota constitutional amendment to ban the sale and possession of assault rifles during remarks at the MinnPost Festival in Minneapolis.
- Constitutional law expert David Schultz detailed the amendment process (majority votes in both chambers; majority of all voters statewide with nonâvotes counting as no) and said passage is unlikely given the divided Legislature.
- Schultz also noted a constitutional amendment banning assault weapons could face federal challenges under recent U.S. Supreme Court Second Amendment jurisprudence.
- Walz has said he plans to call a special session on gun control; no date set.
Gun control special session stuck on runway, hereâs why
New information:
- Gov. Tim Walz met with bipartisan legislative leaders on Thursday but reported no agreement on a gun-focused special session; leaders will meet again Friday.
- DFL push centers on a ban on new sales of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; Walz says a House and Senate majority may support a vote.
- House Speaker Lisa Demuth says DFLers have not presented bill language and asserts there arenât enough votes for a ban; GOP prefers focusing on school security and mental health.
- Specific DFL senators (Rob Kupec, Grant Hauschild, Judy Seeberger) are cited as potential opponents on some new gun measures.
- House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson emphasized the issueâs urgency with personal context and called for votes to test support.
Gov. Walz: GOP wonât budge on gun control; House speaker calls it âmischaracterizationâ
New information:
- Gov. Tim Walz said Republicans "wonât budge" on DFL-backed gun-control measures during ongoing negotiations.
- House Speaker Lisa Demuth rejected Walzâs characterization, calling it a âmischaracterizationâ and asserting the GOP has engaged in talks.
- The exchange underscores continued stalemate over possible gun-safety legislation ahead of any special session.
Partisan fighting stymies Minnesota Senate's meeting on gun violence
New information:
- The workgroup held a second hearing on Wednesday, where progress stalled amid partisan disagreements.
- Chair Sen. Ron Latz said GOP members failed to bring proposals despite his requests since Sept. 9 and repeatedly gauged support that lacked Republican backing.
- Debate over safe-storage policy grew tense; Sen. Keri Heintzeman defended GOP approaches, while Sen. Zaynab Mohamed questioned GOP motives and Sen. Eric Lucero alleged a decorum violation.
- Lawmakers revisited proposals from Monday including an assault-weapon ban, expanded mental-health services, and funding a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
DFL lawmakers propose assault weapons, high-capacity magazines bans
New information:
- Sen. Zaynab Mohamed proposed a bill to ban military-style assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, .50-caliber or larger firearms, and undetectable firearms.
- Existing owners would be required to register these firearms; transfers would be prohibited; unwanted firearms must be surrendered to the Minnesota BCA; exceptions for law enforcement, military, and dealers.
- Parents of Annunciation shooting victims urged action in testimony, providing specific quotes about trauma and school safety.
- Rob Doar of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus opposed the bans, citing a DOJ study on the 1994 federal AWB, emphasizing mental health interventions, and noting bed shortages for civil commitments.
- Lawmakers also reviewed additional proposals addressing mental health at the hearing.