Everytown for Gun Safety Releases 2024 State Gun Law Rankings, Minnesota Ranks 14th and Sees its Rank Increase by 3

After Electing a Gun-Sense Trifecta in 2022, Minnesota Lawmakers Enacted Strong Gun Safety Policies, Increasing Minnesota’s Gun Law Ranking by 3

SAINT PAUL, MN – Today, Everytown for Gun Safety launched the updated “Gun Law Rankings” for 2024, an online tool and website that ranks all 50 states based on the strength of their gun laws and catalogs gun safety laws state by state. This year, Everytown’s state gun law rankings also shows whether states’ rankings increased or decreased over the past year, reflecting progress made by passing common-sense gun safety policies or setbacks as a result of enacting dangerous measures backed by the gun lobby. Everytown’s analysis found that Minnesota ranks 14th in the nation for its gun laws and saw its rank increase by three spots – from 17 to 14 – over the past year.

After electing a gun-sense trifecta in 2022, legislators in Minnesota took action to enact a comprehensive gun safety package that included multiple foundational gun safety policies, including requiring background checks on all gun sales, creating an Extreme Risk law to limit firearm access by individuals in crisis, expanding access to community violence intervention funding, and restricting the use of no-knock search warrants. 

“In two short years, we were able to elect a gun-sense trifecta in our state and pass historic gun safety legislation, in no small part due to the dedication of Moms Demand Action volunteers who ran for office, and won, and made their voices heard at every committee hearing and rally to get these life-saving bills across the finish line,” said Katie Walloch, a volunteer with the Minnesota chapter of Moms Demand Action. “The progress we’ve made in Minnesota is a testament to the power of electing leaders who are not afraid to take action and stand up to the gun lobby and if this is the kind of historic progress that we can accomplish in two years, I know that Minnesota’s future is looking brighter, and safer.”

“Students like me are done waiting on the sidelines for the next tragedy to strike. Minnesota is proof that we don’t have to accept America’s gun violence crisis as inevitable, even if the gun lobby tries to spin it otherwise,”  said Maggie Salmen, a volunteer with Edina High School Students Demand Action chapter. “My generation is no stranger to the devastating impacts of gun violence, but we’re in this fight for the long run. We won’t back down. We’ll keep marching, testifying, and working with our lawmakers to create a safer future one gun safety law at a time.”

To speak with an expert about Everytown’s State Gun Law Rankings or gun violence prevention efforts in Minnesota, please contact [email protected]