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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is exploring calling a special session on gun control this fall, according to a senior administrative official familiar with the matter, and is making calls to lawmakers on the subject.
This comes two days after a mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, in which a shooter killed two schoolchildren and injured 18 others during a morning Mass. Less than 24 hours before, a separate shooter opened fire at a south Minneapolis intersection, injuring six and killing one person.
It is not clear the direction Walz wants the special session to take, or which policies he wants the Legislature to consider. Elected leaders, including Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmakers and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, on Thursday called for a ban on assault weapons.
Under most circumstances, only the governor is permitted to call a special session, though the legislature has the authority to determine its length. It is common practice for the governor and legislative leaders to agree on the business of the session before it is officially called.
In recent years, the Minnesota Legislature has approved new gun restrictions, including a red flag law and expanded background checks. Efforts to pass other measures have failed to get the necessary support.
GOP House Speaker Lisa Demuth said she was “disappointed to hear through social media, instead of from the governor, that he plans to call a special session.”
“As we work through this tragedy, we need to lead with grace and cooperation, not political rallies and vitriol. I look forward to the coming conversations on how we can most effectively address the evil we saw this week perpetrated against the most vulnerable among us,” Demuth said.
“Republicans are committed to addressing the root causes of violence, supporting safe schools, and increasing access to mental health resources. Calling for a special session without even consulting legislative leaders is not a serious way to begin. This is a partisan stunt from a governor who continues to engage in destructive political rhetoric,” said Senate Republican Leader Mark Johnson.
WCCO reached out to DFL leadership and has not heard back yet.
Top leaders in the on the state Senate’s public safety committee said they are establishing a working group to address comprehensive gun violence prevention efforts, hate prevention and mental health.
“This horrific act of violence requires real action that meets the moment. Together with our colleagues, we will make gun violence prevention our most urgent priority and prevent anything like this ever happening again in any community in Minnesota. We hope that our fellow legislators join us in this critical work, and that we come together to put politics aside and put solutions in place that keep our kids and communities safe,” said DFL Sens. Ron Latz and Zaynab Mohamed in a joint statement.
The special session could begin as soon as September, the Walz official told WCCO. One seat in the Minnesota House sits vacant following the shooting death of Rep. Melissa Hortman earlier this summer. Walz called the deaths of Hortman and her husband a “political assassination.” A special election is set for Sept. 16 to fill the seat for the northwest metro area, which leans Democrat.
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Aki Nace
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