In Minnesota, 2A Advocates Notch Legal Win As Anti-Gun Activists Engage in Political Theater

As part of the Democrats’ failed efforts to pass a gun and magazine ban in Minnesota this year, a number of communities in the state adopted local ordinances of their own prohibiting commonly-owned arms like AR-15s. Though the ordinances were written so that they would only take effect if Minnesota’s firearm preemption law is ever repealed, the MN Gun Owners Caucus has launched several lawsuits against the measures, arguing that the preemption statute applies to these types of anticipatory ordinances too. 

On Thursday, a Ramsey County judge sided with the Caucus and denied a request by the city of St. Paul to dismiss the group’s legal challenge against its recently adopted ordinance. 

🚨 BIG WIN: Judge Castro just DENIED the City of Saint Paul’s motion to dismiss our preemption lawsuit. Caucus v. City of Saint Paul is moving forward in Ramsey County.

The City argued it could pass a gun ordinance as long as it delayed enforcement. The Court wasn’t buying it.… pic.twitter.com/zm4menq9w6

— MN Gun Owners Caucus (@mnguncaucus) May 29, 2026

The City argued it could pass a gun ordinance as long as it delayed enforcement. 

The Court wasn’t buying it.

Judge Castro: the Legislature “preempts all authority” of cities “to regulate firearms… to the complete exclusion of any order, ordinance, or regulation.”

And the line that says it all: “There are no exceptions for contingent ordinances.”

State law preempts local gun control. Period.

Next stop: a Motion for Summary Judgment to strike down and enjoin Saint Paul’s illegal ordinance for good.We beat tyrants in court because members like you make it possible. 

Castro’s ruling means the Caucus’s lawsuit can go forward, but it’s a pretty big signal that St. Paul is going to lose on the merits if the city continues to defend the ordinance instead of repealing it. 

This is a substantive win for the MN Gun Owners Caucus and its members, and a stinging rebuke of the St. Paul politicians who thought they could do an end run around the state’s preemption statute despite its clear language. Minneapolis the other communities that adopted similar ordinances can expect the same treatment from the courts going forward, and gun owners can expect to hear complaints from St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and other anti-gunners about the unfairness of the preemption statute and the need for it to be repealed. 

In the meantime, though, anti-gun activists angry that they couldn’t get the gun and magazine ban they demanded have launched a new round of political theater at the state capitol. 

Gun violence prevention advocates will fill the Minnesota Capitol Friday to post eviction notices on the doors of lawmakers who blocked anti-gun legislation during the session.  

Volunteers with the organizations, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, will post the eviction notices on the doors of Republicans who blocked all attempts for the gun violence prevention package to be heard in the House.  

And this is going to accomplish what, exactly? It will get some media attention, and it might raise the spirits of some disheartened anti-gun activists, but that’s about it. 

While the gun control lobby is engaging in performative stunts like this, the 2A lobby is winning in the legislature and the courts. 

As we move closer to Election Day this November, the grassroots activism from gun owners and Second Amendment supporters will become even more important, as they’ll be targeting the seats currently held by three Democrat senators who reversed their previous opposition to hardware bans in addition to adding at least one seat in the House to give 2A supporters control of the legislature.

Editor’s Note: The radical Left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.

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