Gov. Walz signs public safety bill with new gun control measures

Legislation includes an additional $113.3 million to fight violent crime

Flanked Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, legislators, and gun safety advocates, Gov. Walz signed historic gun and public safety measures into law on Friday. The legislation includes universal background checks and a red flag law that allows law enforcement to intervene when someone is at high risk of injuring themselves or others with a firearm.

“As a veteran, gun owner, hunter, and dad, I know basic gun safety isn’t a threat to the Second Amendment—it’s about keeping our kids safe,” said Gov. Walz. “There’s no place for weapons of war in our schools, churches, banks, or anywhere else people are just trying to live their lives. Today is about taking meaningful action to create a safer future for our kids, and I am proud to sign this commonsense, life-saving legislation into law.”

“As a mom, I am very clear that our first responsibility to our kids is keeping them safe. With this historic budget, we are going to do just that,” said Lt. Gov. Flanagan. “By signing a red flag law and universal background checks into law, we are saving lives and building a better, more hopeful future for our kids. Thank you to Congresswoman Giffords and all of the advocates who turned their deepest pain into hope and progress—their courage is why we are here today.”

Giffords, a former congresswoman in Arizona, became a gun violence prevention advocate after being shot in the head during a campaign event in 2011. After the bill signing, Giffords released a statement: “Minnesotans know the toll gun violence takes on communities and families. In 2021, more than 500 Minnesotans died from gun violence—enough is enough. Gov. Walz and lawmakers across the state have taken meaningful action to save lives from gun violence.”

The new law restricts no-knock warrants to cases when a search cannot be executed while the premises are unoccupied or the occupants in the premises present an imminent threat of death or great bodily harm to the officers executing the warrant or other persons.

The measure also invests over $43 million over four years for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) to combat violent crime statewide.

Other highlights of the public safety bill include funding to reimburse counties for the costs of sexual assault examination kits to fill the gap in federal Victims of Crime Act funding, and the establishment of the Office of Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls to promote safety and success and end the violence against and the trafficking of Black women and girls.

The bill also allocates $70 million for the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) to provide grants to community-based crime prevention programs. Eligible grantees include organizations that support victims of gun violence, youth support, violence interrupters, homelessness support, neighborhood watch, re-entry programs for incarcerated individuals, and community and faith-based projects.

The legislation also includes $35 million over two years in juvenile-justice efforts. This includes funding for youth-intervention grants, dual-status youth programs, restorative justice grants, increasing the capacity of OJP’s Youth Services Office, establishing a new office at OJP for Restorative Justice, and funding a pilot program in Ramsey County for juvenile home placement and treatment.