Minnesota House Republicans are proposing a slate of school safety policies in response to the mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church last week.
The proposals include extending state school safety funding to nonpublic schools, new school security grants, an increase in school resource officers, more funding for mental health treatment beds and mandatory minimum prison sentences for repeat gun offenders.
“Minnesotans deserve real solutions that will meaningfully protect students and actually reduce gun violence,” House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said in a statement. “The policies we are proposing will protect students, provide desperately needed mental health care, and hold criminals who commit the vast majority of gun violence accountable.”
Republican positions on legislative action come in the wake of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting, which killed two children and injured 21 other people attending a back-to-school church service. The Republican proposals do not contain any provisions that would limit access to firearms.
That’s in contrast to legislative Democrats and DFL Gov. Tim Walz, who says he’s planning to call a special session later this month where they hope to pass new gun regulations.
Finding agreement could be difficult at the Capitol, where any bill will need bipartisan support. Republicans hold a 67-66 majority in the House, pending a Sept. 16 special election to fill the seat last held by House DFL leader Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated in her home in June. DFLers hold a majority in the Senate but by one vote.
Still, Walz said Friday he was glad that Republicans put out some proposals. “They’re not going to focus on guns yet, but we will obviously,” he said.
Walz said he hopes Republicans have listened to the calls from parents at Annunciation who are calling for new gun-control laws.
