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City Cast Twin Cities

🔁 Walz tries again for gun reform

February 25, 2026

Hey, Twin Cities. It’s Adam today. Yesterday, our podcast host Sean McPherson put me on to the good news that L.A. Buckner is starting a weekly residency at the new BrownStone Jazz Club in Uptown. Buckner is a talented drummer and bandleader from the north side of Minneapolis, and he put on my favorite concert of 2025 when he and his band BiG HOMiE opened for Ghost-Note at the Fine Line. Catch him Monday nights with the Homework House Band and special guests, 8-10 p.m.

Today’s Must-Know

Tim Walz with his hand on chest at a podium. He looks to be mid sentence
Gov. Tim Walz announced a slew of legislative proposals that he called "common sense" gun reform. (Stephen Maturen / Stringer via Getty Images)

Walz Proposes Comprehensive Gun Control Plans

Gov. Tim Walz, joined by lawmakers and gun violence survivors, unveiled sweeping gun control legislation set for debate this session. Lawmakers have recently returned to St. Paul for the first legislative session since the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and the assassinations of House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman. [Star Tribune]

  • What's being proposed? In the press conference, Walz mentioned a ban on "military assault weapons" and high-capacity magazines, closing the ghost gun loophole, introducing a firearm tax, and creating and expanding early intervention resources to prevent gun violence. He also included new requirements for gun owners to safely store their weapons, report any lost or stolen firearms, and carry liability insurance. [KARE11]
  • Will it pass? Walz joked about taking Republican lawmakers pheasant hunting, but he and fellow DFLers face long odds in the evenly split House. Bryan Strawser, chair of the Minnesota Gun Owner Caucus, said House and Senate GOP caucuses are united against new gun restrictions, though there may be bipartisan support for expanded mental health resources. [Star Tribune]
  • 'All children have the right to live': Lydia Kaiser, an eighth-grade student at Annunciation who survived a gunshot to the head, spoke at the press conference. "Elected officials have a duty to protect us from guns," she said. "No one should have to go through what we went through at Annunciation." [KARE11]

What the Cities Are Talking About

Willkommen, Aldi! Downtown St. Paul will finally have a grocery store again. Almost a year after the downtown Lunds & Byerlys closed, Aldi has filed an application to remodel the space and open as early as this summer. [Star Tribune]

Seeking accountability: Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison launched an online portal for community members to submit evidence of alleged constitutional violations by federal agents. The portal has already received over 1,500 submissions in the first month. A spokesperson said complaints include racial profiling, retaliation against protesters, and closures of businesses and schools linked to Operation Metro Surge. [MinnPost]

A sign that reads "Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building. Restriced Entry. Employees Only. Visitor Entrance." The word "Employees" is crossed out in spray paint and above it someone wrote "Pigs"
Clergy members report being denied access to detainees at the Whipple building, including on religious holy days. (Adam Sage / City Cast Twin Cities)

Clergy vs. DHS: A group of Minnesota religious leaders sued the Department of Homeland Security, alleging they were denied access to visit detainees at the Whipple Federal Building. Following a similar lawsuit last year, a federal judge ordered DHS to allow clergy in a Chicago-area detention center in time for Ash Wednesday. [MPR]

Get away: After months of enduring the federal immigration enforcement surge, there's a palpable feeling of exhaustion amongst residents across the Twin Cities. If you're looking for a quick weekend trip to recharge your batteries, we have some great recommendations for our favorite spots to get away within a two and a half hour drive of the Twin Cities. Let me know if you have any additional Lanesboro recs. I'm planning on doing a biking trip there this summer! [City Cast Twin Cities]

'In the dregs of the building': The Minnesota Disability Law Center is seeking a ban on the use of "seclusion rooms" in elementary schools in Minnesota. The DLC released a report that shows pictures of small concrete rooms that are "eerily similar to solitary confinement," where Black and Brown children are disproportionately likely to be sent during an emotional crisis. [Spokesman-Recorder]

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Before I go, a big, warm welcome to our newest Neighbor, Carla P.! Thanks so much for supporting the work we do. You can find more information about the benefits of our membership program and sign up here.

— Adam Sage

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