LEADING SESSION WITH GUN SAFETY: Everytown, Moms Demand Action, and Students Demand Action Applaud Minnesota House Lawmakers For Introducing Critical Gun Safety Prevention Measures on Day 2 of the 2023 Session

Due to the Tireless work of Moms Demand Action Volunteers Campaigning and Running for Office, Including Four Volunteers who Helped Flip the Senate, there is now a Gun Sense Trifecta in Minnesota. 

Gun Safety Supporters now have Control of the House, Senate, and Governor’s Mansion – and an Opportunity to Pass for Critical Common Sense Gun Safety Legislation

The Minnesota chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, released the following statement applauding Minnesota lawmakers for introducing critical gun violence prevention legislation on day two of the 2023 legislative session. House lawmakers introduced House File 14 (Pinto) a bill to require background checks on all handgun and semiautomatic military-style assault weapon purchases. They also introduced an Extreme Risk law, House File 15 (Frazier), which allows loved ones and law enforcement to petition for removal of access to firearms from those deemed dangerous to themselves and others. These are both foundational gun safety laws and vital to preventing gun violence and saving lives.

“By introducing these critical gun safety bills in the first week of session, Minnesota lawmakers are making it clear that saving lives from gun violence is a top priority,” said Rachel Boeke, a volunteer with the Minnesota chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We will build from this momentum, continue advocating for foundational safety measures, and will work with our lawmakers to get these bills over the finish line.”

Following an election where Minnesota voters made it clear gun violence prevention is a top priority, lawmakers have returned to the State Capitol with a gun sense majority in all three chambers. In recent years, life-saving gun safety bills have been blocked by the Senate. During the 2023 legislative session, lawmakers will now have an opportunity to build on the work they have done to advance a gun violence prevention agenda, and prioritize critical measures to address gun violence.

In an average year, 462 people die and 811 are wounded by guns in Minnesota. Guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens in Minnesota, and an average of 41 children and teens die by guns every year, of which 55% of these deaths are suicides and 39% are homicides. Gun violence in Minnesota costs $1,174 per person each year.  Gun deaths and injuries cost Minnesota $6.6 billion each year, of which $105.5 million is paid by taxpayers.

More information about gun violence in Minnesota is available here.