A police monitoring station remains in front of Annunciation Church Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, days after a mass shooting that left two children dead and more than a dozen others injured in south Minneapolis. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer)
Dueling press releases and news conferences from Minnesota Democrats and Republicans Tuesday can only mean one thing: Negotiations for a special legislative session on gun violence and school safety have reached an impasse and are unlikely to be resolved.
Gov. Tim Walz and legislative leaders have been meeting for weeks behind closed doors, negotiating the terms of a special legislative session after the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in August.
Walz and Democratic-Farmer-Labor legislative leaders released a proposal for a special session that includes a ban on so-called assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. They’re also pushing for a special legislative session on Monday. The proposal also included expanded “school safety funding” and increased “funding for mental health treatment,” which are Republican priorities. None of the proposed bills included details.
Republicans are not on board, however, and because the two parties share power in the Legislature, bipartisan agreement is necessary. The House is tied 67-67 between Republicans and Democrats. The Senate is currently short two members until a Nov. 4 special election, after which Democrats are expected to maintain their slim majority, but until then, they are a vote shy of the necessary 34 to pass any bills.
Democrats say Republicans are unwilling to even consider any new restrictions on guns. Which wouldn’t be surprising: Republican voters are against new gun regulations, recent polling shows.
In a statement Tuesday, Walz said the DFL proposal “meets the expectations that Minnesotans have for their elected leaders — that we respond to threats to public safety and take direct action on guns.”
“Our offer addresses mental health, school safety, support for law enforcement and most importantly, common sense gun laws,” Walz said.
Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, said that negotiations between Walz and leaders broke down Tuesday morning after Democrats “indicated they would no longer work with Republicans to find agreement for a special session.”
“If Gov. Walz wants a special session, which only he can do, Senate Republicans will be there to do the important work to keep our kids and communities safe. Minnesotans deserve better than slogans and press conferences, they need solutions,” Johnson said in a statement.
House Republicans in their latest offer outlined that during a special session, lawmakers would would take up bills related to school safety, mental health funding and “improving public safety.” In recent years, House Republicans have sought to increase criminal penalties, especially on violent crime.
The House GOP offer doesn’t mention guns, and it states that lawmakers can also propose other legislation.
Republicans, who are aligned with the gun rights movement, have said that school safety is a priority but have been reluctant to discuss guns at all, whereas Walz and Democrats have been firm that considering gun control measures would be a requirement of any special session agreement.
Walz, who first floated a special session weeks ago, has the sole ability to call lawmakers into session, but only lawmakers can gavel themselves out, which is typically why the governor and lawmakers come to an agreement beforehand, including what bills will be passed, as well the duration of the session.
Rep. Zack Stephenson, a north metro Democrat who leads the DFL House causus, said the two sides are stuck: “We’ve reached a clear impasse.”
