In a rambling and incoherent press conference on December 16, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz railed against firearms, claiming that there are too many guns, just before signing two executive orders that are largely composed of unconstitutional gun control measures, including first steps to explore required liability insurance for firearms owners.
“There’s too many damn guns and the wrong types of guns on the street. And I don’t wanna hear how do you define ‘assault weapon.’ I damn sure can assign what it is and describe what it is and tell you what it does,” stated a visibly agitated Walz in a video conference, although he did not define “assault weapon” and neither did either of the executive orders he signed.
Executive Order 25-12 “Taking Steps to Reduce Gun Violence in Minnesota,” is framed around an oft-repeated falsehood and states that “…firearms are the leading cause of death in the United States for children and young adults.”
The executive order is largely related to furthering Extreme Risk Protection Orders (which nearly always subvert due process rights), and furthering efforts to compel residents to lock up firearms.
However, hidden in the last couple of paragraphs is a new, pernicious attack on Second Amendment rights:
Finally, we need to better understand the financial impact that guns have on our community. Numerous cities and states have considered or passed legislation mandating liability or other insurance coverage for firearms. I am asking the Department of Commerce to advise on the interaction between firearms and insurance in Minnesota.
No court has yet upheld the requirement to have insurance to exercise a constitutionally-protected civil liberty. Such a requirement was even thrown out in New Jersey as related to concealed carry of a firearm.
Elements of the order are incredibly vague from an actionable standpoint, including the directive that, “All state agencies must pursue opportunities and coordinate with each other to protect Minnesotans, particularly minors and vulnerable adults, from gun violence to the fullest extent of their authority.”
Notable is the fact that the order directs the state to “develop and implement a multilingual, targeted education campaign” that will be available on a website in English, Spanish, Hmong, and Somali.
Executive Order 25-13 “Establishing the Governor’s Statewide Safety Council” appears to be more of a response to events in Bondi Beach Australia, rather than in Minnesota. The order creates a Safety Council with the purported purpose “…to make every effort to prevent mass violence, targeted attacks, and domestic terrorism…”
And here I thought Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety would be the people “…to make every effort to prevent mass violence, targeted attacks, and domestic terrorism…”