Minnesota Democratic senators have passed a comprehensive gun control bill despite having only a one-vote majority.
The public safety and judiciary finance and policy agreement was passed on May 16 by a vote of 69-63, following a 34-33 vote in the Senate on May 12.
The legislation includes a red flag law that would enable authorities to request extreme risk protection orders from courts, allowing them to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed to be a threat to themselves or others. The law is part of a broader public safety budget bill that includes expanded background checks for gun transfers.
Opponents of the legislation argue that it violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and due process rights. The background check extension applies to private transfers of pistols and semi-automatic military-style assault weapons but excludes transfers between family members and law enforcement officials.
The bill also includes provisions to expand the definition of bias crimes to include gender identity, create an Office of Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls, provide $8.8m for law enforcement recruitment and retention over the next four years, boost funding for the state judicial system, including pay raises for judges, and restrict strip searches of detained juveniles.
Democratic Senator Rob Latz of St. Louis Park, who chairs the Senate public safety committee, said the legislation would provide lawful tools to separate people in crisis from the firearms that are around them. Governor Tim Waltz, who is expected to sign the bill into law, tweeted his support for the legislation, stating that basic gun safety isnt a threat to the Second Amendment and that the legislation would help to keep children safe.
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