Minneapolis City Council — Transcript
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Local Gun Reform Legislation (Safe Firearms Act)
Votes (1)
Signing of the Safe Firearms Act
Dissent: No dissent recorded for the Minneapolis ordinance itself; strong criticism was directed at the Minnesota House GOP and Speaker for failing to bring a state-level Gun Violence Prevention Bill to a vote or lift preemption.
Mayor Frey and Council Member Aurin Chowdhury, the ordinance's author, detailed how the new legislation addresses gun violence by banning specific weapon types and enforcing safe storage. Speakers from advocacy groups (Protect Minnesota, Moms Demand Action, Annunciation Light Alliance) shared personal stories, underscored the urgency of gun reform, and criticized the state legislature for inaction and preemption laws, while commending Minneapolis for its leadership in public safety.
Notable Quotes (4)
What it does is it bans some forms of semi-automatic weapons. What it does is it bans high-capacity magazines. What it does is creates additional safety requirements so that gun storage can be done safely and it'll ultimately save lives.
Banning assault weapons, large capacity magazines, binary triggers that double the lethality of a gun, ghost guns that are untraceable at crime scenes, and circumvent background checks, this is common sense. We are requiring things like safe storage because you shouldn't be leaving a gun unsecured.
As we well know, gun violence is not now and should not ever be a partisan issue. It is a public safety issue. It is a public health issue. And Minnesotans of every background are demanding action.
For every family impacted by gun violence, healing is not a fixed point in time. It is something we live with every day. There is no version of normal after something like this, only a new way of carrying it. People see the vigils, the headlines, the anniversaries. What they don't see is the anxiety when your children walk into school.
Ordinances & Resolutions (2)
Local legislation in Minneapolis banning certain semi-automatic weapons, high-capacity magazines, binary triggers, ghost guns, and requiring safe gun storage.
State-level legislation passed by the Minnesota Senate but not brought to a vote in the House, mentioned as an example of state inaction.