Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is taking full advantage of the school shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church, which claimed the lives of two students while wounding two dozen more.
The governor announced that he will call a special legislative session to pass more gun control measures. During a press conference, Walz laid out his reasons for calling the special session.
From KSTP:
Appearing at Deerwood Elementary in Eagan for the first day of the new school year, Walz made clear that he wants legislators to take action.
“The sad reality of it is that what happened last week is preventable because so many nations around the world do it, and we cannot resign ourselves to believe that our little ones can’t be safe in what should be and always is the most safe environments they can possibly be in, so there’s more work to do there,” Walz said.
“I grew up in a simpler time when we took our shotguns to school and we went hunting afterwards. I came from a household where guns were there and we did that, but it’s a different world,” he added.
The governor didn’t get into specifics but said he plans to release a proposal for lawmakers to consider in the coming days. That proposal is likely to focus on types of weapons, red-flag reporters, mental health and safe storage.
“There’s a package I’ll put out in the next day or so that I think is very comprehensive, it’s been done in other places, it’s been done without infringements on people’s Second Amendment rights, but it’s proven that it will help protect our students,” Walz said.
Recommended
Walz responded to those who might argue that mass shootings are a result of mental health problems. “Those who say we need to talk mental health issues, yes, then don’t cut the funding to mental health like you did,” he said. “We’re more than happy to add that into the package. I think we should. This is the time and for those who say that in this tragedy is not the time to debate, when would that time be appropriate then?”
The governor acknowledged that passing such a measure would require support from Republican lawmakers and indicated he plans to reach out to them. “I’m gonna hear where they’re at on this, I’m gonna ask them,” he said. “They have not put out any solutions, they just seem to say things that we can’t do and they have not put out any things that we can do. If they’ve got suggestions, I’m open to it.”
Walz further stated that “I’m gonna need some Republicans to break with the orthodoxy and say that we need to do something on guns.”
Gov. Tim Walz says America should model Scotland and Australia's gun control laws: 'They are just as free as we are.' (Video source: KSTP) pic.twitter.com/XBoJ0YWk6U
— Alpha News (@AlphaNewsMN) September 2, 2025
In Minnesota, residents must possess a permit to purchase a handgun or “assault-style” rifle. Sellers are required to adhere to a five-business-day waiting period if the customer does not have a permit. Those purchasing certain types of long guns do not have to abide by this rule unless they have a pistol grip.
To obtain a permit, applicants must complete safe-handling training. Those convicted of violent felonies or domestic assault are barred from owning firearms. The same holds true of those with histories of substance abuse or mental health commitments.
The state also imposed a red flag law in 2023, which allows the authorities to seize firearms without due process. Everytown for Gun Safety, a leading anti-gunner organization, ranked Minnesota in 14th place when it comes to its gun restrictions.
And yet, the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church still happened.
The truth is that gun control is not an effective way to protect people from gun violence. None of the measures Minnesota lawmakers pass in this special session will do anything to prevent these tragedies. We can be sure they will only serve to make it more difficult for law-abiding Minnesotans to protect themselves.
Editor’s Note: The radical left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
Help us continue to report on and expose the Democrats’ gun control policies and schemes. Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member