MINNESOTA SENATE PASSES CRITICAL GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION OMNIBUS PACKAGE

Legislation Includes Ban on Assault Weapons and High-Capacity Magazines, Crackdown on Ghost Guns and Emerging Threats While Investing in Prevention

ST. PAUL, MN - Today, the Minnesota Senate passed a comprehensive gun violence prevention omnibus package (SF 4067), marking a critical step forward in efforts to strengthen public safety and reduce gun violence across the state. The legislation includes key provisions to address some of the most urgent threats facing Minnesota communities, including a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, measures to crack down on ghost guns, and investments in school safety and violence prevention.

The Senate's action comes after the bill advanced out of the Senate Finance Committee last week and follows sustained calls from advocates and communities across the state for comprehensive action to address gun violence. This legislative movement stands in stark contrast to the Minnesota House, where, under the leadership of Speaker Demuth, all efforts to advance similar lifesaving policies, including a ban on assault weapons, have been blocked along party lines.

"Today's vote is a major step forward for public safety in Minnesota and a reflection of years of advocacy from volunteers and survivors across the state," said Chad Kuyper, co-lead of the Minnesota chapter of Moms Demand Action. "This package takes on the full scope of the crisis-from banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines to cracking down on ghost guns and investing in prevention. The Senate listened to Minnesotans and acted. Now it's time for the House to stop standing in the way and pass these lifesaving policies."

"This is not theoretical for students-we've lived through the consequences of inaction. We've literally had to duck under our desks when just trying to get an education," said Timberlyn Mazeikis, a former Michigan State University student who survived the mass shooting on campus in 2023 and is now a volunteer leader with the Students Demand Action group at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. "Today's vote takes meaningful steps to protect our generation, including banning the weapons most often used in mass shootings and addressing new threats like 3D-printed guns. But it can't stop here. House leaders need to stop standing in the way and start answering to the students and communities demanding change."

A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION

SF 4067 includes a wide-ranging set of policies that target both the most lethal weapons and the underlying drivers of gun violence:

• Ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, which are associated with more deadly mass shootings
• Prohibition on ghost guns, unserialized and untraceable firearms increasingly used in crimes
• Restrictions on instructional files for 3D-printed firearms, addressing the rapid rise of DIY and digitally distributed firearms
• Reinstatement of the ban on binary triggers, which enable semiautomatic weapons to fire more rapidly
• Expansion of secure storage laws to prevent access by prohibited persons, not just children
• Investments in school safety and violence prevention programs
• Funding and improvements for Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) to prevent crises before they turn deadly
• Creation of a statewide violence prevention research center to better understand and address gun violence
• Expansion of gun-free school zones to include Minnesota High School League-sponsored activities

Weapons of war do not belong in Minnesota communities. Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are designed to fire large numbers of rounds in seconds, maximizing harm and devastation. The policies advanced in this package reflect a comprehensive, evidence-based approach to reducing gun violence and saving lives.

In the wake of devastating shootings across Minnesota, lawmakers in the Senate have moved to advance policies aimed at preventing both everyday gun violence and mass casualty events. However, last month, under the leadership of Speaker Demuth, Minnesota House Republicans blocked a motion to advance legislation to prohibit assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, leaving these lifesaving policies stalled in the House.

With the Senate's passage of SF 4067, the focus now shifts to the Minnesota House, where lawmakers have previously blocked similar measures from advancing to the floor.