Real Minnesotans Excluded From Tim Walz’s Civilian Disarmament Carnival Roadshow

Minnesota’s political leadership is aggressively mounting a gun control blitz that dances around the Constitution and sidesteps the state’s own lawmaking process. From city-level ordinance proposals to a statewide town hall show, Democrats in the Land of 10,000 Lakes are relying on scripted and astroturf political theater despite voters’ rejection of their goals.

That’s not the legislative process, that’s political theater aimed at restricting a fundamental right.

Cue the Roadshow

Earlier this month, Gov. Tim Walz tried to jam through a special gun control legislative session, but pro-Second Amendment legislators rejected the proposals. Now, Gov. Walz and Democratic legislative leaders announced their own plans for a series of “town halls” across Minnesota, trying to “rally public support” for an unconstitutional ban on modern sporting rifles and other restrictions.

To call these “town halls” is a stretch. The first event was scripted and coordinated by numerous gun control groups, including the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and Everytown-affiliated Carver County Moms Demand Action. In addition to Gov. Walz, roughly 800 attendees were pre-selected through a screening process.

Gabby Giffords, the former U.S. Congresswoman from Arizona and co-founder of the gun control group Giffords, and other Democrats including Minnesota state Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, Minnesota state House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson and state Rep. Lucy Rehm were all on hand to answer pre-screened and pro-gun control questions.

“We’re here to listen to the demands of Minnesotans, to hear from those directly impacted, and to push for gun reform that will keep our communities safe,” Gov. Walz said.

Despite his characterization of this being a “conversation,” the governor’s town hall allowed only activist-approved talking points and pre-selected questions in front of an audience consisting of carefully pre-screened individuals.

It was certainly not a public conversation to hear any real meaningful input from Minnesotans.

An Unenforceable Ordinance

For its part, the St. Paul City Council floated an ordinance that would ban MSRs, standard-capacity magazines and privately-made firearms within city limits — even though Minnesota state law explicitly prevents municipalities from enacting new firearm restrictions independent of the legislature. Council members even candidly admit the measure can’t be enforced under the current state preemption law. In effect, St. Paul officials are making a performative political gesture that has no legal standing to project a perception of action.

“I support the spirit in which this was crafted, but I think it’s important not to give residents a false sense of security that there is enforceable action in what is being proposed,” said state Rep. Kaohly Her.

That’s because Minnesota’s firearm regulation preemption law prevents a patchwork of local gun ordinances that would whiplash law-abiding owners from one jurisdiction to the next, creating criminals out of law-abiding gun owners. When local officials float bans they know they can’t enforce, they don’t create safety. They erode trust in the rule of law and normalize the idea that Constitutional rights are mere policy preferences to be negotiated city-by-city.

What’s more, St. Paul’s ordinance isn’t even designed to take effect unless the state preemption law is repealed — and that’s not happening. But it does show how this entire production is the theater of the absurd. The new proposal essentially holds citizens hostage to political changes they cannot influence, all while criminals continue to ignore any and all laws.

Pro-Second Amendment legislators — elected by their Minnesota constituents — rebuffed the governor’s demands to hold a legislative session to force through more gun control. As a result, gun control supporting politicians pivoted to town hall theatrics by hosting forums in Republican districts. They are attempting to manufacture consent rather than engage in genuine legislative debate, a tactic contrary to representative government and the careful balancing of rights.

The Bottom Line

These orchestrated town halls amount to a play put on at the theater of the absurd to get a standing ovation from a hand-selected audience of gun control supporters. Minnesotans, through their elected representatives, have filed their reviews and panned the play. They won’t allow a patchwork of local gun control laws — something even the playwrights admit. But more importantly, the U.S. Constitution will not abide any legislation banning commonly owned firearms, like MSRs, at any level of government. This show flopped on opening night.

Minnesota’s gun control advocates need to remember rights aren’t subject to popularity polls, nor are they up for piecemeal removal by local ordinance or partisan whim. Every Minnesotan, regardless of neighborhood or city, retains the fundamental right to keep and bear arms.

If Gov. Walz and his allies believe that their gun control wishes are the public will, they should pursue it through legislation and Constitutionally designed processes — not via municipal loopholes and orchestrated, astroturf town halls.

 

Larry Keane is SVP for Government and Public Affairs, Assistant Secretary and General Counsel of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.