Minnesota: Governor Tim Walz Signs Anti-Gun Bill Into Law

On May 24^th, Governor Tim Walz signed House File 5247, a large omnibus bill that incorporated language from House File 2609, a bill that banned certain firearm triggers. The effective date for the trigger ban is set for January 1^st of 2025.

Article 36, HF 5247 includes vague and ambiguous language that bans certain firearm triggers. This provision of the bill seeks to ban binary triggers and could potentially implicate many common factory installed triggers.

Additionally, on May 19^th, the Minnesota state legislature adjourned for the 2024 session. Nearly every gun-control effort was defeated, including “assault weapon” bans, firearm registration and licensing, strict storage requirements, and lead ammunition bans. The following are some of the examples of bills that did not make it through the legislature this session:

HF 4300 imposed a "one size fits all" firearm storage requirement, impeding a gun owner’s ability to engage in self-defense. This could have further harmed the victim of a crime by subjecting them to criminal penalties for improper storage. This legislation tipped the scales in favor of criminals and would have victimized law-abiding gun owners who sought to defend themselves.

HF 601 would have victimized gun owners who suffered the loss or theft of their property, with harsh criminal penalties if they did not report lost or stolen firearms within 48 hours of discovering them missing.

HF 2828 would have allowed local governments to prohibit or restrict a person from possessing a firearm or other weapon within or on government-owned property. Gun owners who violated provisions of this bill could have been guilty of a misdemeanor.

HF 3672 would have completely repealed preemption laws in Minnesota. HF 3672 repealed several statutes that would have transferred firearm regulation away from the state to local governing bodies, allowing municipalities and counties to regulate the use and possession of firearms. This would have resulted in a patchwork of firearm laws across Minnesota and potentially unconstitutional proposals by local governing bodies.

HF 3570 banned many firearms by broadly defining prohibited “semiautomatic military-style assault weapons”. Additionally. modifications and accessories like protruding grips and barrel shrouds, were features that would also cause a gun to be banned.

HF 3813 banned the use of lead ammunition for hunting and lead tackle for fishing.

HF 3628 banned so-called "large capacity magazines", assault weapons, and .50 caliber firearms.

Stay tuned to your inbox and the NRA-ILA website for updates on your Second Amendment rights and hunting heritage in Minnesota.