Democrats in Minnesota failed in their latest push to ban commonly owned semi-automatic firearms and magazines after Republicans and Second Amendment advocates successfully blocked the proposal.
According to Bearing Arms, the legislation would have prohibited the sale and transfer of many semi-automatic rifles and magazines exceeding a specified capacity threshold, targeting firearms that are widely owned for lawful self-defense, sporting, and recreational purposes:
The bun and magazine ban was a top priority for Gov. Tim Walz, who demanded the restrictions on popular firearms after the shooting last August at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, where two children were killed and two dozen were injured when a 23-year-old former student at the Catholic school opened fire on a mass. The perpetrator in the shooting used a rifle, pistol, and shotgun in the attack, all of which were legally purchased, and Walz quickly vowed to bring lawmakers into a special session to adopt a ban on “assault weapons” and “large capacity” magazines.
Walz never followed through on that promise. Instead, he started pointing the finger at Republicans for refusing to go along with his gun ban plan, even though at that point there were three Democrat state senators who were uncommitted to the governor’s demand. During the regular session, though, all three ultimately fell in line and voted for a Senate bill that packaged the gun and magazine restrictions with increased funding for school security and mental health, and the bill cleared the Senate by a one-vote margin.
In the equally-divided House, though, a similar bill had already failed to make it out of committee, and Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth refused the demands of Democrats and anti-gun activists to bring the Senate bill directly to the House floor for a vote.
While the semi-auto ban and prohibitions on ammunition magazines that can accept more than 17 rounds were at the top of the anti-gunners’ wish list this session, the MN Gun Owners Caucus notes that there were dozens of gun control bills introduced this session, and none of them made it to Walz for his signature.
Instead, Minnesota’s 2026 legislative session officially adjourned without Democrats securing enough support to advance their broader gun control agenda in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
The defeat marks another setback for gun control advocates seeking broader firearm restrictions in divided state legislatures following recent Supreme Court decisions that made sweeping gun bans increasingly vulnerable to constitutional challenges.
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