Legislative Update – September 26, 2025
Dear Neighbors,
It has been a month since the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, which took the lives of Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski and injured dozens of their classmates. Everyone should be able to live without the fear of gun violence at their schools or churches, and my heart breaks for all the victims, families, and community members who are still recovering from this horrific event.
While in Minneapolis, I stopped by Annunciation Church and School to lay flowers in honor of the victims. This incident is heartbreaking on so many levels, and I am committed to doing all I can to make sure action is taken in the aftermath of this horrific violence.
We’ve seen far too many school shootings and acts of political violence in this last year alone, all across our country. This summer began with the political assassination of my friends, Melissa and Mark Hortman, and the shooting of John and Yvette Hoffman, and ended with yet another instance of gun violence—this is unacceptable. We must take action to address these weapons of war and keep our children and communities safe.
The horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk again showed us the danger and tragedy of political violence, and at the same time Charlie Kirk was shot, another school shooting took place in Colorado. This cannot become the new normal.
Community Conversation
In Minnesota, conversations are underway at the State Capitol right now to find a way forward, together, because that’s the only way this work can be done. I want to check in with you and our community about what can be done to address gun violence in our state.
That’s why I’ll be hosting a Community Conversation with Senator Ann Johnson Stewart on Thursday, October 16, at 6:00 pm, focused on gun violence prevention measures. I’ve invited advocacy organizations, medical professionals, and community leaders to attend this panel and share their perspectives on the epidemic of gun violence in our country.
We will also take input from constituents and hear your ideas about what legislation should be considered—whether during a special session or next year. The event is open to constituents, so please make sure to include your full home address when you RSVP using this link.
Gun Violence Prevention Solutions
You may have heard the news about Governor Walz potentially calling a special session of the legislature to address gun violence, and many of you have contacted me on the issue as well.
In Minnesota, while the Governor has the power to call a special session, it is the Legislature that sets the agenda and timeframe. Due to our narrow divide in the Minnesota Legislature, any solution will take bipartisan buy-in from both chambers.
I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to pass in recent years, like Red Flag Laws and criminal background checks, and I’ll be pushing to build on this work. Whether that’s in a special session this fall, or when we return for the 2026 Legislative Session in February, I’m committed to building a safer Minnesota. We can’t afford to bury our heads in the sand and wait for the next tragedy.
My colleagues in the Senate held hearings to listen to our community, take action, and begin discussions about actual policy change ahead of a potential special session.
The hearings on Monday focused on the voices of the parents, advocates, and community members who have been directly impacted by gun violence. Wednesday’s hearing centered on proposed solutions like banning assault weapons, magazine limits, and safe storage laws. You can watch recordings of the meetings here, or read this article for more details.
I’m disappointed that some of my colleagues across the aisle have refused to consider reasonable gun violence prevention laws so-far, but I’m dedicated to continuing work to find a solution together.
Protecting our Services
Last week, Governor Walz announced additional steps our agencies will use to address the misuse of public funds in state programs, including establishing a Statewide Inspector General Coordinating Council.
This comes on top of a broad, bipartisan package we passed last session to address the bad actors who are trying to defraud government services. We’ve passed laws that allow agencies to better withhold payments from providers suspected of fraud, strengthen whistleblower protections, and increase funding to the legislative auditor to ensure tax dollars are being used efficiently and correctly.
Minnesotans expect their tax dollars to go to the services and programs that help people thrive, and anyone caught abusing programs must be held accountable. These new measures help us do more proactive work to ensure we catch these fraudsters before the money goes out the door.
As your representative, I’m continuing to talk with the administration, as well as my colleagues who are leading authors of our anti-fraud measures, on what additional steps we can take next session to strengthen oversight.
Staying in touch
Please reach out if you have any questions or feedback you would like to share. You can contact me by email at rep.patty.acomb@house.mn.gov or call my office during business hours at (651) 296-9934.
Sincerely,
Patty Acomb
State Representative