Breck Students on MN Legislative Special Session on Gun Violence

Nearly four weeks after the Annunciation School shooting, which left two children dead and many more injured, Minnesotans want answers and solutions. At the state capitol, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is expected to call a special legislative session with the goal of passing a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines (devices that store ammunition and feed it into a firearm’s chamber). However, these goals will not be easy to achieve. The Minnesota State House is currently tied 67 – 67 between Democrats and Republicans, and in the Senate, Democrats only have a one-seat majority (33-32). With these razor-thin margins and high political pressure, there’s no guarantee that any meaningful legislation will be passed in the special session. Representative David Gottfried (DFL-Shoreview) writes in a memo to constituents, “To effectively hold a special session on gun violence, it would take some bipartisan buy-in.” Passing any legislation on gun violence will undoubtedly be a challenging task—one that will require both parties to work together and compromise.
“I do feel that there is the possibility for concrete and meaningful change,” says Breck senior Kelan McKay (‘26), who was instrumental in organizing the September 5th walkout against gun violence. Niya Weston (‘26), another Breck senior who organized the walkout, said, “Legislators need to put aside their differences and find the common ground [so] that children should not fear for their safety in any educational institution.”
Gun violence is an issue that affects everyone, and Breck students feel the urgency to take action, just as legislators do. As reported in a September 9th article in MPR, Governor Walz said, “The families of Annunciation and countless others have made it clear the expectation is to do something about this.”