Republicans in Minnesota aiming to restrict gender affirming care and enhance security in private schools during a potential special legislative session

In Minnesota, a proposed assault weapons ban has been a contentious issue, with a significant urban-rural divide. According to a survey, 54% of the population support a ban, while 51% of rural residents oppose it. This divide has been a recurring theme in the ongoing discussions about gun control.

Esme Murphy, a seasoned journalist, has been at the forefront of these discussions. As a reporter and Sunday morning anchor for WCCO-TV and a weekend talk show host on WCCO Radio, Esme has been a trusted voice in Minnesota's media landscape since joining WCCO-TV in December 1990. Born and raised in New York City, Esme ventured into reporting after graduating from Harvard University.

The proposed assault weapons ban did not come up for a vote in 2023 due to concerns about support within the legislature. However, nine big city mayors, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Minnetonka, and Stillwater, have expressed their desire for the legislature to allow them to pass their own city-wide assault weapons and high capacity clip bans.

Gov. Tim Walz has announced a special session of the legislature to address gun violence. The governor has not yet set a date for the special session, but he is scheduled to meet with legislative leaders on Tuesday. This time, Gov. Walz will need Republican legislators to side with him, as the odds of passage in the divided legislature for his proposals are very tough.

The governor's proposals include a ban on assault weapons, high-capacity magazine clips, a safe storage law, liability insurance, and a tougher red flag law. The red flag law, intended to address situations like the Annunciation School Shooting, was passed in 2023.

Republicans, on the other hand, have different proposals. They are proposing to give doctors more authority to deny gender affirming care, provide security funding for private schools, increase school resource officers in every school, implement tougher penalties for repeat gun offenders, and allocate more money for mental health beds.

Harry Niska, Minnesota House Floor Leader, stated that Republicans are focused on proposals that are politically feasible and will work. However, the search results do not provide information about the name of the Minnesota legislator for the Republicans who currently speaks in favor of stronger authority for doctors to refuse gender-affirming treatments.

In the 2022 MinnPost poll, 69% of urban residents supported a ban on assault weapons, while 51% of rural residents opposed it. Despite this divide, the discussions continue, and the special session promises to be a pivotal moment in Minnesota's gun control debate.