Hello Friends,
Since this session began, I’ve been working to pass my bill banning high-capacity magazines. It's a chance to add a layer of safety in helping protect Minnesotans from gun violence, and it’s something the majority of Minnesotans are asking for.
Next Monday, I’ll be introducing another layer of safety—a bill suggested by former Shakopee Police Chief Tate requiring that guns confiscated by a municipality be destroyed, not resold. This comes after multiple instances where confiscated guns have been resold and then later used in a crime.
When my bill on high-capacity magazines was heard in committee, even after testimony from the parents of Annunciation children, all Republicans voted to block the bill from moving to our next committee stop.
After that hearing, Harper’s parents, Jackie and Mike, asked a simple question: Does our testimony about our daughter’s death even matter? It’s a heartbreaking question to consider, but Jackie and Mike go point by point through the “arguments” against the bills. They asked those opposed to the bill to “engage this issue not as a courtroom exercise, but as the moral responsibility it is.” I hope you’ll take a moment to read it.
We must treat this issue as more than just politics—it's a moral question about whether children have the right to live their lives free of the fear of gun violence. That’s why we forced Floor votes on legislation to ban assault weapons, ban high-capacity magazines, and keep ICE out of schools. These measures all had one thing in common—they're about keeping our kids safe.
On the Floor, I read a letter I received from a father of three who survived the Annunciation shooting. He wrote how magazine size and the pauses between reloading were a factor in his ability to survive in that shooting. You can watch the comments here.
The motions we put forward would have only needed one Republican vote to succeed. It was an opportunity to put the entire House on the record and show we could put humanity over politics. Unfortunately, Republicans continued to vote lockstep against the bills.
We’re at the halfway point of session, and we’ll continue to use every tool we have to protect Minnesotans. Our kids deserve to go to school without the fear of federal agents terrorizing their classmates, and without the fear of yet another deadly school shooting.
I’ll continue pushing for these bills for as long as it takes for them to become law.
Reply to this email or call me at 651-297-5003 with any questions, comments, or ideas you have for Shakopee and Minnesota.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Brad Tabke, State Representative | Rep.Brad.Tabke@house.mn.gov
Tenzin Tsangyang, Legislative Assistant | Tenzin.Tsangyang@house.mn.gov