Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Monday issued an executive order requiring weapons screening at the state Capitol following an advisory report released earlier this month recommending new security measures.
The order, which is set to go into effect starting the first day of the 2026 legislative session on Feb. 17, directs the Minnesota State Patrol to “put in place the equipment and trained personnel necessary” for the new requirement, though it leaves the exact choices up to the discretion of the state Department of Public Safety.
It’s based on the recommendations of an “independent security assessment” commissioned by the state public safety department, according to the governor’s office. The Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security approved the recommendations earlier this month.
Walz’s order does not mention specific security measures like X-ray machines or metal detectors. Minnesota was among 13 states that had neither, according to a 2021 review by the Council of State Governments.
The state Capitol was wired to support metal detectors during major renovations completed in 2017. The governor’s office referred questions about specifics to the Department of Public Safety, which didn’t have specifics on Monday.
“We are now working through the details to ensure screening is implemented in a way that is thoughtful, accessible and minimizes disruption for the public and those who work in the building. That includes entrance locations, staffing, accessibility considerations and clear guidance on what people can expect when they arrive,” said Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson. “Because those details matter, we want to take the time to get this right.”
Senate also will require weapons screening
The expense of new security measures will be covered by the State Patrol’s general fund dollars, according to the governor’s office.
In addition to weapons screening at the Capitol, the Minnesota Senate on Monday also announced plans to boost security. Starting on Feb. 17, the Senate will require members of the public to pass through a full-body scanner before entering the Senate Gallery, the observation area above the floor where members gather to vote.
Changes announced by Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis, also include a ban on members of the public carrying firearms in the Senate Gallery.
“Minnesota has been an outlier state in the lack of protection we provide at the Capitol, one of only ten states that didn’t screen for weapons, and only six that didn’t regulate their possession,” Sen. Bonnie Westlin, DFL-Plymouth, said in a news release announcing the change. “Weapons screening was the top safety priority recommended by the Axtell Group report our committee adopted earlier this month.”
Changes come after killing of Rep. Melissa Hortman
While some lawmakers had called for more security and a ban on firearms from the Capitol for years, the issue took on a new sense of urgency in the wake of the June assassination of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, and her husband, Mark, and the shootings of Sen. John Hoffman, DFL-Champlin, and his wife, Yvette.
“Government cannot function effectively when elected officials fear for their safety. In the last year, Minnesota has seen horrific acts of political violence,” Walz said in a news release. “This executive order will make the Capitol – the central seat of Minnesota’s state government – safer, ensuring the people’s house remains open, welcoming, and secure.
Last summer’s political violence — and a subsequent break-in at the Capitol by a nude intruder who guards found sitting in the Senate President’s Chair — increased political pressure to harden security. Before that break-in, state public safety leaders had told news media that they had already boosted security, though the intrusion highlighted ongoing vulnerabilities. An independent review by the private security firm Axtell Group followed.
Members of the Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security unanimously supported most of the independent review’s recommendations, though Republican lawmakers Rep. Jim Nash, R-Waconia, and Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, declined to support the weapons screening. Legislative Republicans have largely opposed efforts to curb gun rights at the state Capitol.
Besides Nash and Limmer, members of the Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security include DFL Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who serves as chair, Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, Sen. Westlin and Rep. Kelly Moller, DFL-Shoreview.
Walz and the DFL-controlled Senate are boosting security measures, though the House, which is tied 67-67 between DFL and Republican members, has not announced any changes.
In a statement on the new security at the Capitol, House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson praised Walz’s executive order.
“This is personal for House DFLers,” Stephenson said. “While we are pleased with today’s action, we will continue to advocate for a full ban on guns at the State Capitol.”
It wasn’t immediately clear on Monday how the new security orders might brush against the public’s right to carry weapons in the state Capitol.
The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, a prominent state gun rights group with a history of success in challenging firearms restrictions, said it was aware of the governor and Senate’s decision and was reviewing legal options.
“Permit to Carry holders will still be able to carry at the Minnesota State Capitol Complex,” Gun Owners Caucus Chair Bryan Strawser said in a post to X. “We will work with state officials to ensure that the statutory right of MN Permit to Carry holders at the state capitol is not infringed.”
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