Preemption repeal stopped 7-7
HF 3351 would have repealed Minnesota’s statewide firearms preemption and switched on the Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Edina gun bans. The motion to advance failed 7-7 along party lines.
At a glance
The hearing
- When: Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 1:00 PM
- Where: State Capitol, Room G23
- What was heard: one gun control bill, HF 3351, a total repeal of Minnesota’s statewide firearms preemption
- Result: the motion to advance failed 7-7 along party lines, and the bill stayed in committee
HF 3351
HF 3351: total repeal of statewide firearms preemption
Chief author
- Rep. Dave Pinto (DFL, HD 64B)
What it would have done
- Completely repealed Minnesota’s firearms preemption statutes:
- MN 471.633
- MN 471.634
- MN 624.714, Subd 23
- MN 624.717
- MN 624.9191, Subd 4
- Would have let any subdivision of government or municipal corporation pass its own gun control laws, change the scope of a permit to carry, prohibit carry, and regulate firearms and ammunition in any way it saw fit
- Would have created a patchwork of gun control laws across the state, making it impossible for a peaceable Minnesotan to understand their rights and obligations
- Repealing preemption would have immediately put into effect:
- Minneapolis’s ordinance banning the possession of most semi-automatic rifles
- Saint Paul’s ordinance banning the possession of semi-automatic rifles and many pistols, and banning carry throughout large swaths of the city
- Edina’s ordinance banning the possession of semi-automatic rifles and magazines holding more than 10 rounds, and changing the scope of carry
Read the bill
Where we stood
- We opposed this bill and testified against it.
What happened
- The bill author moved to advance the bill
- The vote failed 7-7 along party lines
- The bill stayed in the House Elections Finance & Government Operations Committee and did not advance
Written testimony
Our testimony
Committee testimony
Video
Watch the full hearing
After the hearing
Preemption survived
- HF 3351 did not become law, and preemption still stands.
- In the Senate, SF 2320 would have let cities, counties, and townships ban carry in government buildings and on government land; SF 3549, a total repeal, was withdrawn from the March 13 Senate hearing.
- We expect a renewed push to repeal or carve up preemption in 2027: what to expect.
What’s next
The fight moves to the 2027 session
The 2027 session opens January 12 with a DFL trifecta and larger DFL majorities than in 2023-24. Every bill starts over with a new number in 2027, so expect the ideas on this page to come back under new numbers.
Get action alerts so you know when to call and when to testify, and follow the session on our 2027 page. For more of the record, see the 2025 session.
Minnesota’s gun owners are not backing down.
Join the Caucus and keep us at the Capitol, in court, and in every race that matters.