Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday signed two executive orders aimed at educating the public on existing Minnesota gun safety policies and laying the groundwork for future gun control legislation.
The orders do not make any immediate changes to state gun control policy and come after months of frustration for the governor, who has been pushing for new gun laws.
Walz had pledged to take significant action on guns following the August shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, but so far, state leaders have failed to reach any deal.
Walz and almost all Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmakers support a ban on so-called assault weapons. But with no Republican support and DFL holdouts, prospects of such bills passing remain uncertain.
“I do not have the capacity as governor to issue an executive order to get rid of those, but what I do have the ability to do is to start to move in a direction,” the governor said at a news conference at the state Capitol with gun control advocates and other DFL elected officials.
“These actions today don’t limit your freedoms at all,” Walz said later in his remarks. “Being shot dead in your school certainly does.”
In the face of what DFLers called Republican “stalling” and “stonewalling” on guns, Walz’s orders on guns work within his limited powers as governor.
They direct new insurance data collection, the creation of a “statewide safety council,” and the expansion of education on extreme risk protection orders and safe gun storage.
GOP: Some DFLers also oppose new gun control
Republicans pointed out Tuesday that some DFL lawmakers also are holdouts on new gun control.
Even though the GOP is tied with the DFL in the House, gun bills still wouldn’t pass in the Senate, where the DFL has a one-seat majority. Some DFL senators from rural districts have resisted gun control bills.
“Once the Governor saw that even his own legislators weren’t on board with his gun bans, he pivoted to political rallies and insulting Republicans for suggesting bipartisan ways to keep students safe,” House Speaker Lisa Demuth said in a statement. “Now, he’s pushing an advisory council and PSA campaigns for laws we already have.”
Republicans have backed boosting funding for school security and mental health services rather than new gun restrictions as ways to prevent future violence.
What do the orders do?
The statewide safety council will be tasked with developing a “blueprint” for preventing mass violence, domestic terrorism and politically motivated attacks. It’ll have members from law enforcement, education, mental health and community organizations.
A separate executive order directs data collection and new education initiatives.
Insurance companies will have to provide the state data related to “firearm-related claims,” something the governor’s office says would help its efforts to understand the social and financial impacts of guns in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Department of Commerce would collect the data, which would be used in future efforts to push for new gun control and “hold gun manufacturers accountable,” said Walz, who told insurance companies to “get your lawyers” if they do not want to provide information.
Insurance group waits for more information from state
The Insurance Federation of Minnesota, which represents about 50 insurance companies, said it’s still waiting for more information from the state.
“The Insurance Federation of Minnesota was not contacted in advance of today’s announcement by the Walz administration and will review the data call once issued by the Department of Commerce,” the group said in a statement.
On the education side, the Department of Public Safety will do more to spread the word about the state’s extreme risk protection orders or “red flag” law, which allows a court to remove firearm rights from people deemed a serious risk to themselves or others.
The Department of Education and local schools will work to provide safe gun storage education, gun locks, and gun safes to families with the aim of reducing injuries and deaths.
Kristen Neville, a parent of children at Annunciation School in Minneapolis, where a shooting claimed the lives of an 8- and 10-year-old and injured 30 others, calls for stronger gun control measures during a news conference at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. She is flanked by Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison, left, and Gov. Tim Walz. (Alex Derosier / Pioneer Press)
Kristen Neville, a parent of children at Annunciation School in Minneapolis, said she welcomed the new measures.
“Protecting Minnesotans from gun violence is not about blame. It’s about responsibility. It’s about making sure families, schools and communities have the tools and resources they need before tragedy happens, as well as the support they need afterward,” she said. “We are encouraged by the focus of today’s executive actions.”
Gun rights advocates were skeptical of the impact of Walz’s order.
“What we got today were low-impact orders that serve more as political cover than meaningful policy,” said Bryan Strawser, chair of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. “It’s a distraction from the fact that the governor couldn’t build support for his agenda within his own party.”
While the Gun Owners Caucus was dismissive of the overall effects of the executive orders, the group raised concerns about the advisory council.
“Like similar advisory panels in the past, it appears designed to deliver predetermined recommendations aligned with the Governor’s policy goals rather than to provide balanced input or genuine stakeholder engagement,” the group said in a news release.
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