ST. PAUL. Minn. — Governor Tim Walz said Republicans have dug so deeply into resisting a tougher gun law that a special session of the Legislature could be “a waste of money and a waste of time.” Six weeks ago, Walz promised to convene the Legislature to deal with a single issue — gun restrictions. This was just after 30 casualties in a mass shooting at Anunciation Church in Minneapolis. Walz figured the time was ripe to clamp down assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. He caucused with Democratic and Republican legislative leaders. Republicans, historically under the influence of gun manufacturing and retailing lobbyists, would commit only to mental health funding. Theirs a dubious line of reasoning that massacres are rooted in individual psychological maladies and that weaponry therefor isn’t the problem. Facing GOP resistance, Walz has hinted at a Plan B work-around: To ask the Legislature to authorize a public referendum on building gun control into the state constitution. This buck-passing — to the people— would get the gun lobby off the backs of recalcitrant Republicans. Meanwhile: Hundreds of faith leaders have delivered a letter to the governor to call a special session. The faith leaders held a prayer service on the Capitol steps Wednesday and vowed they’d return as long as necessary to pressure governmental leaders.
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