Governor Tim Walz today joined legislators, community advocates, and survivors of gun violence to announce a comprehensive gun violence prevention package. The package includes a number of provisions aimed at strengthening gun safety, reflecting concerns raised directly by Minnesotans who have expressed growing frustration with continued legislative inaction. The Governor’s legislative package can be found here; photos from the event can be found here.
“In the past year we have seen gun violence inflict immense heartbreak and loss in Minnesota. It’s time for us to come together to take real, actionable steps toward common sense gun laws,” said Governor Walz. “We are ready to make significant progress, and I look forward to working across the aisle to pass the gun violence prevention legislation that Minnesotans deserve.”
The Governor’s comprehensive gun violence prevention package includes several proposals aimed at protecting the safety, health, and wellbeing of Minnesotans. Actions include a ban on military-style assault rifles and high-capacity magazines; ensuring accountability among responsible gun owners by requiring safe storage and reporting of lost or stolen firearms; closing the ghost gun loophole; implementing a firearm insurance requirement; establishing a firearm and ammunition tax; and creating and expanding early intervention resources, including school resources, working upstream to prevent gun violence.
In December, Governor Walz became the first Minnesota Governor to take executive action on Gun Violence, passing executive orders 25-12 and 25-13 directing state agencies to pursue a range of strategies to reduce gun violence.
In January, the Governor issued an executive order implementing weapons screening at the Minnesota State Capitol. The implementation enables security personnel to detect and prevent the introduction of unlawful, dangerous items into the Capitol, serving as a deterrent to those who wish to commit violence, intimidate people, or interfere with the orderly work of government.
From 2023-2025, Governor Walz signed several gun safety bills into law, maintaining gun violence prevention legislation as a top priority:
- Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO): Part of the Governor’s 2023 public safety budget, ERPOs allow judges to temporarily remove firearms from individuals following a petition filed by a family member or law enforcement that proves the individual is a risk to others or themselves.
- Expanded Background Checks: Included in the Governor’s 2023 public safety budget, expanded background checks require a background check for private party transfers of pistols and semiautomatic military style assault weapons.
- Increased Penalties for Straw Purchases: Increased the penalties for straw purchases from a gross misdemeanor to a felony, passed in 2023.
- ETrace Requirements: Passed in 2025 and requires law enforcement to enter found and confiscated firearms into the federal ETrace system, used to trace the purchase and use history of firearms used in violent crimes.
