Minnesota Governor Tim Walz weighing in on gun safety legislation passed by the Senate yesterday that is now on the way to his desk.
The bill cracks down on straw purchasing - buying a gun for someone who is not legally allowed to have one - and prohibits binary triggers, which double the rate of gunfire. The measure passed Thursday afternoon on a 34-33 party-line vote.
Walz, speaking to WCCO's Adam Carter at the 2024 Governor's Fishing Opener, says there's no reason for gun owners to feel threatened by the changes.
"So me, as a gun owner, five firearms in my house right now, I am not impacted in any way by the things we've done," the Governor explained. "Nor am I impacted by, you know, extreme risk protection orders. Nor am I impacated negatively by background checks. And I don't believe I would be negatively impacted by safe storage."
The safe storage bill was not voted on this session. Senate Republicans says the bill turns law-abiding gun owners into criminals with the binary trigger ban. They were also critical of the passage of the bill being possible thanks to the vote of Senator Nicole Mitchell (DFL- Woodbury) who is dealing with charges of burglary for entering her stepmother's home and is under investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee.
“There was bipartisan agreement available today, but Democrats choose to be partisan and political – and we all noticed they don’t have the votes to pass their full agenda,” Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) said. “Rather than work with Republicans to find agreement, they continue to rely on a charged felon to cast the deciding vote.”
The straw purchase of guns does come with bipartisan support on the heels of the tragedy in Burnsville earlier this year that left three first responders dead after answering a domestic call. Federal prosecutors criminally charged the shooter's girlfriend, who they say straw purchased the guns for him; he was barred from owning or buying firearms due to a prior felony.
As for this weekend's Governor's Fishing Opener, Walz says he just met his guide for the big day tomorrow.
"I asked him if he drew the short straw at how he got that job," jokes Walz. "Because people ask me, 'what's your tip?' Fish away from me, you'll probably catch more fish."
Walz last caught a fish during the walleye opener two years ago.