Minnesota lawmakers reach impasse in gun control negotiations, jeopardizing special session

Negotiations between top Minnesota lawmakers and Gov. Tim Walz over possible gun violence solutions broke down Tuesday as Republicans refused to sign on to a broad package of proposals that included an assault-style weapons ban.

Walz and Democratic leaders proposed a suite of policies and investments that would’ve put parameters on a special session, which the governor has pushed for since a shooter killed two children and injured nearly two dozen more at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis last month.

“This proposal meets the expectations that Minnesotans have for their elected leaders – that we respond to threats to public safety and take direct action on guns,” Walz said in a statement. “We will not let this issue simply go away.”

The Democrats’ proposal called for the special session to begin Monday.

Republicans rejected the proposal that included a slate of GOP priorities, including funding for mental health services and school security. It also would’ve required passage of a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, which Republicans have opposed.

“It’s become clear, I think, to everyone what should have been obvious from the start — that the governor’s talk of a special session has been a partisan political stunt from the beginning,” House GOP Floor Leader Harry Niska, R-Ramsey, said at a Capitol news conference.

Since the Annunciation shooting, Walz and Republican and Democratic leaders in the Legislature have held a series of discussions to prepare for a possible special session. Democrats, including Walz, have pushed for a ban on assault weapons – or simply a vote on the measure. Niska said no House Republicans are willing to vote for such a ban.

Because of the close partisan divide in the Minnesota Senate and the tie in the Minnesota House, any legislation requires bipartisan buy-in to reach a floor debate, let alone final passage.

“We got the clarity that we’re looking for – that Republicans aren’t willing to vote for meaningful measures to reduce gun violence in our state,” House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson, of Coon Rapids, said at a news conference.

The Democrats’ proposal also included an expansion of Minnesota’s red flag law, the re-passage of a recently invalidated law banning so-called ghost guns, and increased penalties for impersonating a police officer.

Stephenson and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, called the offer a good-faith attempt at a compromise as it included both Democratic gun control priorities and Republican proposals on mental health and school safety.

“It is time, I think, for Minnesotans to understand that there are people serving in the Legislature that want to protect our communities from weapons of war,” Murphy said, “and we’re willing to do it by making compromise with our Republican colleagues. They are not. We are at an impasse.”

“Normal special sessions are either things that have broad bipartisan support or things where there’s been a legislative process that almost got done before there was a need for a special session,” Niska said. “This isn’t anything like that.”

The Senate Republican caucus described negotiations as having broken down after 10 minutes Tuesday morning when “Democrats abruptly ended the meeting and indicated they would no longer work with Republicans to find agreement for a special session.”

“If Governor Walz wants a special session, which only he can do, Senate Republicans will be there to do the important work to keep our kids and communities safe,” Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, said in a statement.

GOP Speaker Lisa Demuth, however, said she expects talks to continue and said House Republicans would come back to the Capitol if Walz calls a special session.

“We will not deny quorum in the House,” she said.

“Minnesotans are tired of excuses,” Stephenson said. “They want action.”

Sen. Ron Latz, DFL-St. Louis Park, convened a working group earlier this month to discuss gun violence prevention measures. Lawmakers on the panel heard impassioned testimony from parents of children who survived the mass shooting at Annunciation, but they still couldn’t agree on how to move forward.

In an interview last week, Latz said he believes Walz should call a special session even without a bipartisan deal.

“I think at some point our constituents deserve to know where we are on these things,” Latz said. “There’s a moment in time right now with an urgency. I think it needs to be addressed.”