Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is preparing to call state lawmakers back to the Capitol for a special session on gun control as soon as next month after this week’s shooting in a Minneapolis Catholic school church that killed two children and injured 18 others.

Walz and fellow Democratic-Farmer-Labor leaders, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, have renewed calls for more gun control laws in recent days. They have advocated for policies including a ban on semiautomatic rifles and a magazine capacity limit.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

“It’s time to take serious action at the State Capitol to address gun violence,” the governor said in a Friday post on X.

An administration official said Walz is making calls to state lawmakers in preparation for a potential special session.

New gun control bills may face headwinds

New gun control bills could face headwinds in the Legislature, where the Senate and House are closely divided between the parties. DFLers have 33 seats to Republicans’ 32 in the Senate, and Republicans have 67 seats to DFLers’ 66 in the House.

Republicans generally oppose new gun control legislation, so passage of any bill will require bipartisan support.

That won’t change after the House likely returns to a 67-67 tie after a special election for former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman’s seat on Sept. 16.

Even then, DFLers will still need at least one GOP vote to pass major gun control bills.

Gun control bills could have a smoother ride in the Senate, which will remain at its current balance until special elections for two vacant seats in November.

Response from GOP, gun rights group

Republicans said they were surprised by news of Walz’s plans to call lawmakers back to the Capitol.

“Republicans are committed to addressing the root causes of violence, supporting safe schools, and increasing access to mental health resources,” said Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks. “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.”

House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said she had not heard anything about plans from the governor.

“My expectation would have been that he would have had some type of communication to say that he is doing this,” she said.

Bryan Strawser, chairman of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, said he doesn’t think the Minneapolis incident will change the dynamic at the Capitol when it comes to gun control measures.

“We have one half of the Legislature that doesn’t believe that gun control is the answer to this – that there are other policy imperatives,” said Bryan Strawser, chairman of Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. “We have another side of the Legislature that goes right to gun control.”

“I don’t think one incident changes that calculus,” he said.

Minnesota’s existing gun regulations

Minnesota law requires a permit to purchase certain semiautomatic rifles and pistols. Police chiefs and sheriffs can deny permits to people determined to be a danger to themselves or the public when possessing firearms.

Another Minnesota law, which took effect in 2024, lets courts grant “ extreme risk protection orders ” to temporarily take guns from people deemed an imminent threat to others or themselves. It’s known as a “red flag” law. Lawmakers also recently tightened the state’s background check requirements.

But none of those laws prevented the Minneapolis shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, from legally obtaining guns.

“The failure to act here is the reason we are once again mourning dozens killed and injured in a school and a house of worship,” said Nick Suplina, senior vice president for law and policy at Everytown for Gun Safety. “It is time for Minnesota to regulate assault weapons.”

DFL efforts

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Ron Latz, the Democrat who has long championed gun safety legislation, said in a statement that he will push for an extensive list of proposals in 2026, including bans on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy was noncommittal at a news conference about the prospects for new gun restrictions.

“We’ll see where it goes,” Murphy said. “But I think Minnesotans are clear with us. They are in favor of a ban on assault weapons, and they’re in favor of a ban on high capacity magazines. And it’s time for us to love our children most and do our work.”

This story contains information from the Associated Press. 

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