SAINT PAUL, Minn. – DFLers began a sit-in on the Minnesota House of Representatives floor on Thursday because they say Speaker of the House Lisa Demuth (R – Cold Spring) hasn’t scheduled a vote on a gun bill passed by the Senate on May 4.
The legislation includes an assault weapons and large-capacity magazine ban and $19 million for school safety aid program funding.
On May 8, House DFL Floor Leader Jamie Long of Minneapolis asked Speaker Pro Tempore Bjorn Olson (R – Fairmont) if the House received the bill.
“We’ve received it, but I’ve been instructed to not report it,” Olson said.
Demuth has previously said she’s not blocking the bill, but it’s stalled in committees. The Minnesota House is tied at 67 seats a piece for DFLers and Republicans. Committees are also tied.
🚨Minnesota Republicans are literally hiding legislation in a desk drawer to prevent it coming up for a vote.
One of Speaker Demuth's deputies just admitted he was "instructed not to report" a bill banning assault weapons/high-capacity magazines that the Senate already passed. pic.twitter.com/Zo9W2MEc7S
— Minnesota House DFL (@mnhouseDFL) May 8, 2026
“We all know that addressing mass shootings, the issues that we’re having around gun violence prevention, we need to hear this bill,” DFL State Representative Heather Keeler of Moorhead said.
“We’ll continue until midnight Sunday to work on measures that can actually pass, that can actually become law, that can improve safety that are proven. Democrats can continue to focus on symbolic fights,” GOP Floor Leader Harry Niska of Ramsey said.
