Gov. Tim Walz and his allied DFL legislative leaders this week detailed the planned special session focused on gun control set to begin next week. 

The Governor-- Kamala Harris's former pick for Vice President in 2024-- and DFL leaders proposed a slate of anti-gun restrictions, including a ban on "assault weapons and high-capacity magazines," and outlawing Binary triggers. Other proposed legislative "fixes" to be debated include one to "eliminate the ghost gun loophole and plans to beef up the state's "red flag" Extreme Risk Protection Order process. 

To sway some Republican support, the agenda is also set to explore an expansion in school safety funding and mental health treatment, as well as an increase in criminal penalties for violent offenses committed with a firearm.

"This proposal meets the expectations that Minnesotans have for their elected leaders – that we respond to threats to public safety and take direct action on guns," said Walz in a statement on Tuesday. "We will not let this issue simply go away. Our offer addresses mental health, school safety, support for law enforcement, and most importantly, common sense gun laws."

The move is backed by a collection of gun control groups, including Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, Protect Minnesota, Brady, and Giffords, who have loudly called upon Walz to call the special session to ban "weapons of war," following a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. 

Walz's DFL party controls the state Senate by a single vote, while the state House is controlled 67-66 by the Republicans. House Republican Floor Leader Harry Niska said there aren’t enough votes in either the House or Senate to pass an "assault weapon" ban.

“I don’t think there are any Republican House votes in favor of those kinds of proposals,” said Niska.

Banner image: A Grand Power Stribog with a Franklin Armory Binary trigger system installed. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)