An emotional bill signing ceremony is wrapping up at the Capitol as Governor Tim Walz makes two historic gun control measures official.
The sweeping public safety bill includes red flag laws that allow universal background checks on gun purchases, and lets courts intervene if someone is deemed a threat to themselves or others.
Governor Walz, who is a self-proclaimed avid hunter and gun owner, says the bill is long overdue.
“I know how to use these things. I understand our rights as Americans to do these things,” says Walz. “But I refuse to allow extremists to define what responsible gun ownership looks like and to make this about the Second Amendment. This is not about the Second Amendment, this is about the safety of our children and our communities. That’s what’s happening here today.”
Former Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was shot in the head during a 2011 mass shooting in Tucson, was also on hand for the bill signing. She testified in support of the legislation earlier this spring.
An emotional Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan says it has been a difficult fight to get these measured passed.
“It has taken decades of organizing, and rallies, and marches and meetings, years of hope and years of heartbreak to get us here today,” said Flanagan. “Thank you for never losing faith.”
Republicans argued the proposed changes would, in the words of Representative Paul Novotny (R-Elk River) create "strict and impractical hurdles” for Minnesotans simply wanting to exercise the Second Amendment rights.
At a news conference in April prior to the passage of the bill, Novotny, a retired peace officer, added the red-flag provision “violates due process,” and would do nothing to address the alleged safety risk posed by the individual.
“If someone is a legitimate threat to themselves or others, simply seizing the firearms will not prevent the individual from bringing harm to themselves or others through other means,” he said.
A statement from the National Association for Gun Rights says, "In the end, it is clear the DFL Democrats, who are beholden to the Gun Control Lobby, care more about earning political brownie points from their billionaire backers than representing their constituents."