The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus has issued a formal legal warning to the Saint Paul City Council, making it clear that the City will face immediate legal action if it proceeds with its proposed firearms ordinance, set for introduction today.
The Caucus has notified Councilmembers that the ordinance, regardless of any delay in its effective date, is facially invalid and stands in direct violation of Minnesota’s state preemption law.
Under Minnesota Statute § 471.633, municipalities are expressly prohibited from regulating firearms, ammunition, or their components. Courts have consistently affirmed this statute, striking down local ordinances and confirming that such laws are void from inception.
“The Saint Paul City Council is trying to make a political statement with an illegal ordinance, and they know it,” said Bryan Strawser, Chair of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. “This isn’t about safety, it’s about virtue signaling at the expense of the law and the rights of peaceable citizens. Our members expect us to stand up when government overreaches, and that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
The Caucus’s legal correspondence to the Council outlines that even a delayed or “symbolic” ordinance introduces legal uncertainty, deters lawful conduct, and infringes on the rights of law-abiding citizens and businesses.
“State law is not ambiguous about this,” said Rob Doar, General Counsel for the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. “The courts have made that clear for nearly forty years. Whether the City delays enforcement or dresses it up as a symbolic measure, the result is the same: it’s unlawful from day one.”
If the ordinance is enacted, the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus will immediately seek declaratory and injunctive relief in court on behalf of its members and other gun owners in Saint Paul.
The Caucus calls on the Saint Paul City Council to respect the law, honor the limits of local authority, and avoid dragging taxpayers into yet another costly and doomed legal fight.
Supporting Material
Press Release: Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus Launches Minnesota Gun Owners Law Center to Expand Second Amendment Legal Action