Walz facing political headwinds as he calls for gun legislation vote following Annunciation mass shooting

Gov. Tim Walz vowed Tuesday to call the closely divided Minnesota Legislature back for a special session and push to ban assault-style firearms and high-capacity magazines despite headwinds from both Republicans and some of his own Democratic colleagues.

The push for gun legislation comes swiftly after a shooter killed two children and injured 21 children and adults at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in south Minneapolis in August.

“We have weapons of war and high-capacity magazines on the streets. They should not be there,” Walz said after meeting with legislative leaders on Tuesday afternoon. “We have folks that have firearms that should not have them, and we should be doing everything in our power to do something about that.”

Previous efforts to ban assault weapons haven’t gained traction in the Legislature, even when Democrats controlled both chambers and the Governor’s Office. Democrats control the Senate by a single vote and would need every member to support new gun restrictions, including swing district members up for re-election next fall.

A handful of Democrats from purple districts hesitated to tell the Minnesota Star Tribune whether they would support bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Sen. Aric Putnam, a St. Cloud-area Democrat, said the specifics will be important in determining whether he would vote for them.

“I need to truly understand that it would work,” Putnam said. “That’s what’s key to me. It’s not a political calculation for me. I just want to make sure that whatever we do is actually effective and that the juice is worth the squeeze, as it were.”

Republicans on the committee that controls what bills come to the House floor are unlikely to allow gun bills to be put up for debate, said GOP House Floor Leader Harry Niska, R-Anoka.

But Walz wants lawmakers to take a public vote, saying families of the murdered children are calling for action. The renewed demand for action on gun violence also comes after a summer that began with the assassination of House DFL leader Melissa Hortman.

“We have a dead speaker of the House and a husband,” Walz said. “We have two dead children. ... There comes a time to do it.”

Walz’s comments came after his first negotiation with top legislators on a special session. Legislative leaders from both parties said their conversation with Walz was productive and that, even though they have different approaches toward school safety, there’s a common desire to accomplish something meaningful.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” said GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth. “It’s not just going to be a real quick, ‘Let’s get this in and done.’”

“Protecting students is something we can get around,” Niska said. “If it’s just playing politics, that’s a waste.”

Walz said while gun violence is a multifaceted issue, distracting from the issue of assault weapons “is the oldest part of this playbook.”

House Democrats have had “a lot of conversations” with their Republican colleagues as they try to persuade them to support gun control, said Rep. Dave Pinto, a St. Paul DFLer who’s long supported gun-control measures.

“So far, I haven’t heard of movement,” he said. “But I’m hopeful that that can come.”

House DFL leader Zack Stephenson of Coon Rapids said if Republicans are listening to the families and community around Annunciation, they’ll allow a floor debate on gun legislation.

The difference compared with previous sessions, she said, is that Minnesota is “in the aftermath of the murder of two children … who should be here but for the existence of these weapons.”

“If there is ever a moment in which we can do it, this is it, right?” Finke said.

But it’s not just Republicans: Some Senate Democrats, including Putnam, have not pledged their votes for new gun restrictions. Both Sen. Nick Frentz, DFL-North Mankato, and Sen. Judy Seeberger, DFL-Lakeland, said they’re assessing what sort of policies Minnesotans in their districts might support.

Frentz said any changes the Legislature makes need to be durable changes the public wants.

“An idea needs to have some traction. … It is a serious matter, and you’ve got people sending their kids to school, and they’re worried,” Frentz said.

Putnam said he is “not interested in theater” and wants any proposals brought to the floor to have a viable chance of passage.

But Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, said the Legislature has addressed guns only in bits and pieces over the years and that it’s time for it to have robust debates and votes on big-ticket policies that some members of the public are demanding — even if they fail.

“I actually think we have a better chance of making that happen now just because the public pressure is getting so intense,” Marty said of bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. “That’s awkward for people.”