Two Minnesota gun bills unlikely to pass after key Democrat says he doesn't support them
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Two priorities for gun safety advocates likely will not become law this year after a key lawmaker in the DFL-led Minnesota Senate said he does not support them.
With a razor-thin, one-seat majority in the Senate, Democrats need their caucus in lock-step agreement in order to pass their agenda. But Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, said he wouldn't support a bill establishing new rules for gun owners that they store their weapons locked and unloaded when not in their possession, derailing its chances of clearing the chamber.
"In Northern Minnesota, we are responsible gun owners & do not need an unenforceable law to tell us how to keep ourselves safe or how to handle our guns," Hauschild wrote on X about his decision.
Democrats in the House last week approved both measures. But Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy told reporters Thursday she will not bring the bill to the floor, citing his opposition.
"I think Sen. Hauschild has made it clear that he doesn't support that piece of legislation so we won't be taking that up this session," Murphy said.
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Hauschild said he is also a no on a bill reporting lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement within 48 hours of realizing they are missing. The majority only brings legislation up to the floor when it has the necessary support to pass, so it is unlikely that the reporting requirements will get a vote either.
Hauschild did join all other DFL members of the Senate on Thursday to increase the penalties for straw gun purchasers, raising it from a gross misdemeanor to a felony offense punishable by up to two years in prison and more jail time if the firearm is used in a violent crime.
Republicans say they support that provision, but ultimately rejected the plan because it also includes a ban on binary triggers or devices that can double the rate of gunfire. Federal prosecutors say the shooter who killed three Burnsville first responders used the device and obtained weapons through a straw purchase since he was barred from possessing or buying guns himself.
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"It's really unfortunate that we had to insert into this bill an unconstitutional, divisive, controversial item for political reasons. That's not what Minnesotans want," said Sen. Michael Kreun, R-Blaine, during a debate on the straw purchase bill Thursday.
Murphy celebrated its passage and said it took a lot of work to get it over the finish line.
"It was a pivotal piece of our agenda. I'm really proud of [bill author Sen. Heather Gustafson] and really proud of us," she said. "Our caucus is determined to get the work of the people of Minnesota done."
Last year Democrats did hold their narrow majority together and successfully approved two long-sought gun measures intended to improve safety: a so-called "red flag" law authorizing temporary removal of a person's guns if a court determines them to be a harm to themselves or others, and exemption of background checks for gun purchases and transfers.
The fate of the two gun proposals this year comes just over a week before the Legislature must adjourn for the year on May 20. Lawmakers still have many outstanding bills, including new rideshare driver protections, sports gambling, and an infrastructure package supporting local projects across the state, among other proposals.
