Minnesota Gov. Tim Waltz, a Democrat, signed two pieces of gun safety legislation Friday that expand background checks and allow the removal of firearms from those deemed unsafe.
"There's no place for weapons of war in our schools, churches, banks, or anywhere else people are just trying to live their lives," Waltz tweeted Friday. "For the safety of our children, I'm signing historic gun violence prevention measures into law — today."
The legislation narrowly passed the state Senate last week along party lines 34-33 after nine hours of debate.
"What we are going to be providing — finally — is a path forward for families and law enforcement who know that someone’s exhibiting signs of crisis and danger," said state Sen. Rob Latz, D-St. Louis Park, chairman of the Senate public safety committee. "And it will give them lawful tools to separate people in crisis from the firearms that are around them."
In addition to expanding background checks for those involved in gun transfers, the new laws include a "red flag" provision that allows law enforcement to confiscate weapons "temporarily" from people who are deemed to present an "immediate threat" to themselves or others, like laws adopted in 19 other states.
Former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., who was shot in the head during an event in Tucson, Arizona, in 2011 and had to learn to walk and talk due to the severe brain injury caused by the shooting, gave a short speech during the signing event Friday.
"Stopping gun violence takes courage," Giffords said. "Now is the time to come together. Be responsible. Democrat, Republican, independent — we must never stop fight!"
Although Republican legislators in the state had previously been able to quash such legislation, Democrats picked up the one-seat majority in the state Senate in November, enabling Democrats to get the bills through the chamber for the first time in eight years.
Rob Doar, a lobbyist with the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, said the policies are more likely to criminalize "common conduct among peaceful gun owners."
"Really, it comes down to how these are applied," Doar said. "If we see a clear violation of somebody's due process rights, then we'll certainly take legal action."
Supporters said the new laws are just the beginning to protect citizens from mass shootings at schools, grocery stores, and movie theaters.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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