MN Gun Owners Caucus v. Walz (Binary Trigger & Single Subject Clause)

This case was filed in Ramsey County District Court on February 12, 2025.

Current Case Status

• Judge Castro ruled on August 18th, 2025, that the passage of the 2024 Omnibus Bill, including the binary trigger ban, violated the single-subject clause of the MN Constitution.
• The binary trigger ban language was severed from the rest of the bill and struck down.
• Judge Castro permanently enjoined the law from being enforced.
• The binary trigger ban is no longer enforceable, effective immediately.

The State has appealed

The State of Minnesota appealed the district court decision on September 15, 2025.  In response, we have cross-appealed seeking to strike down the entire omnibus bill.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals will hear the appeals on March 25th, 2026 at 11:15 AM.  A decision could take several months to a year to be issued.

In the meantime, the binary trigger ban remains enjoined and binary triggers remain legal in Minnesota.

Last Updated:  February 16, 2026

Case Summary

In this case, the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, in support of three harmed and anonymous individuals, is suing the State of Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, and BCA Superintendent Drew Evans over the unconstitutional passage of the Omnibus Tax Bill at the end of the 2024 legislative session, which included a ban on binary triggers.

Case Details

Case Title

Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus v Tim Walz, Keith Ellison, Mary Moriarty, and Drew Evans

Ramsey County Court Case #

62-CV-25-1083

Assigned Judge at District Court

Judge Leonardo Castro

Minnesota Court of Appeals Case #

A25-1507

News Coverage

• May 14, 2025:  MPR News – Minnesota court scrutinizes gun law tucked into 2024 tax bill
• August 18, 2025:  Caucus Press Release – Court Strikes Down Binary Trigger Ban in Landmark Legal Victory for Minnesota Gun Owners
• August 18, 2025:  Upper Midwest Law Center Press Release – Minnesota District Court Strikes Down Gun Provision, Issues Strong Ruling on Omnibus Bill
• August 18, 2025:  Minnesota Reformer – Judge strikes down Minnesota’s binary trigger ban, suggests invalidating 2024 omnibus bill
• August 18, 2025:  KSTP 5 – Ramsey County judge strikes down Minnesota’s binary trigger ban
• August 18, 2025:  MPR News:  Ramsey County judge’s decision blocks enforcement of binary trigger ban
• August 18, 2025:  Star Tribune – Judge strikes down Minnesota trigger ban, warns spending bills have grown too sprawling
• August 18, 2025:  WCCO CBS TV – Ramsey County judge strikes down ban on binary triggers for firearms

Case Filings

Ramsey County District Court

• February 12, 2025
  • MN Gun Owners Caucus Press Release
  • Initial Complaint
• April 15, 2025
  • MN Gun Owners Caucus:  Plaintiff’s Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment
  • MN Gun Owners Caucus:  Affidavit of Bryan Strawser, Chair
  • MN Gun Owners Caucus:  Affidavit of James F. Dickey, Attorney
  • Mary Moriarty:  Defendant Mary Moriarty’s Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Dismiss
  • State of Minnesota:  State Defendants’ Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Dismiss
• April 29, 2025
  • State of Minnesota:  State Defendants’ Memorandum in Opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment
  • State of Minnesota:  Declaration of Anna Veit-Carter in Opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment.
  • MN Gun Owners Caucus:  Plaintiff’s Memorandum in Opposition to Defendants’ Motions to Dismiss
  • Mary Moriarty:  Defendant Mary Moriarty’s Response Memorandum of Law in Opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment
• May 2, 2025
  • Scheduling Order
• May 6, 2025
  • MN Gun Owners Caucus:  Plaintiff’s Reply Memorandum in Support of Motion for Summary Judgment
  • Mary Moriarty:  Defendant Mary Moriarty’s Reply Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Dismiss
  • State of Minnesota:  State Defendants’ Reply Memorandum of Law in Support of Motion to Dismiss
• May 13, 2025
  • Initial Hearing held on the above motions – Judge Castro took the hearing under advisement and will issue a decision.
  • Order of the Court re:  In-Camera Review of Affidavits
• May 21, 2025
  • State of Minnesota:  Letter re: Affidavits Supporting Associational Standing
  • MN Gun Owners Caucus:  Letter re: Affidavits Supporting Associational Standing
• May 23, 2025
  • Hearing:  Associational Standing Affidavits
  • Amended Order of the Court re:  In-Camera Review of Affidavits & Membership
• June 4, 2025
  • Order & Memorandum of Law on Associational Standing on behalf of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus
• June 18, 2025
  • State of Minnesota:  Supplemental Memorandum in Opposition to Motion for Summary Judgment
  • Hennepin County:  Supplemental Memorandum in Opposition to Motion for Summary Judgment
• June 25, 2025
  • MN Gun Owners Caucus:  Supplemental Reply in support of Summary Judgment
• June 26, 2025
  • Letter to Judge citing supplemental authority re:  UHG Single-Subject Case
• August 18, 2025
  • Judgment of the Court – Single-Subject Clause Violation
• September 15, 2025
  • State’s Notice of Appeal
  • State’s Motion & Memorandum of Law:  In this motion, the State attempts to have the injunction stayed in order to make binary triggers illegal again pending the appeal.
• September 18, 2025
  • MN Gun Owners Caucus: Notice of Cross-Appeal
• October 9, 2025
  • MN Gun Owners Caucus:  Memorandum of Law.  Here, we oppose the state’s order to stay the injunction pending appeal in order to keep binary triggers legal while the appeals process plays out.
• October 16, 2025
  • State’s Reply Brief:  In this brief, the State of Minnesota argues again that the injunction against the binary trigger ban should be stayed pending appeal.
• November 6, 2025
  • Order of the Court:  Denying the State’s Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal.  With this order, the court denies the State’s motion.  Binary Triggers remain legal pending the appeals.

Minnesota Court of Appeals

• September 15, 2025
  • Appellant’s Statement of the Case
  • State’s Petition for Accelerated Review
  • Caucus’s Statement of the Case
• September 26, 2025
  • Caucus’s Cross-Petition for Accelerated Review
• October 29, 2025
  • Order of the MN Supreme Court:  Petitions for Accelerated Review are Denied.
• November 17, 2025
  • State’s Brief
• November 24, 2025
  • Amicus Curiae Brief of MN DFL House Caucus and MN DFL Senate Caucus
• December 17, 2025
  • Caucus’s Principal and Response Brief
• January 20, 2026
  • State’s Reply Brief
• February 3, 2026
  • Caucus’s Reply Brief

Counsel of Record

In this case, the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus is represented by Nicholas Nelson, Doug Seaton, Alexandra Howell, and Austin Lysy of the Upper Midwest Law Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the decision take effect?

The decision was effective immediately.

Did this decision impact FRTs or Super Safeties?

No, FRTs and Super Safeties were prohibited due to legislation passed during the 2023 session.  They were not part of this lawsuit, which focused on the Minnesota Constitution’s single-subject clause and the 2024 “jumbo omnibus bill”.

We are considering legal action on Second Amendment grounds regarding this ban; however, there are other precedents we would like to see in place before pursuing such litigation.