After the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School last year, it is understandable to have passion and righteous anger in the political sphere. At the same time, we must remain prudent and non-ideological, ensuring this passion does not morph into partisan politics or one-size-fits-all policy solutions. Senseless gun violence is a complex issue with multiple factors at play.
New research from the Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University presented to legislators this year made something clear: multiple elements are needed to protect kids from mass shootings in schools, and focusing only on one’s preferred approach, whether it be gun safety measures, building security, or mental health, is insufficient on its own to prevent more of these tragedies.
It is for this reason, as well as a keen understanding of the limits of politics this year, that the Church proposed a three-part Protect Kids Package at the beginning of the session. Designed to transcend the partisan divide, this package includes banning high-capacity ammunition magazines, expanding school safety funding for all students, and limiting Big Tech’s ability to target kids with addictive social media algorithms.
As the legislative session nears an end on May 18, all three pieces of legislation are in the middle of negotiations and have a chance to reach the finish line:
Ban High-Capacity Ammunition Magazines
Bills H.F. 3402 / S.F. 3714 would ban high-capacity ammunition magazines, devices capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition and designed for rapid firing without reloading. Statistics from Everytown Research show that mass shootings with high-capacity magazines led to more than twice as many fatalities between 2015 and 2022. Additionally, ten times as many people were wounded per incident, and five times more people were shot per incident on average. Removing high-capacity ammunition magazines won’t solve the problem alone, but it’s a reasonable gun safety measure backed by evidence to ensure fewer fatalities in mass shootings.
Expand Safe Schools Funding to Include all Students
Bills H.F. 3493/S.F. 5111 would expand school safety funding to include private, charter, and tribal schools. Public schools already receive this funding, and it should be extended to all kids, regardless of which school they attend. The funding can be used for school safety improvements, school resource officers, and mental health support for kids. This would undoubtedly help harden schools and provide resources to address security blind spots. When one school is vulnerable, all schools are vulnerable. Parents, students, educators, and volunteers deserve a clear commitment from the State of Minnesota as a matter of public safety to invest in protecting every child.
Prioritizing Kids Over Big Tech Algorithms
Kids are spending excessive time on social media and it’s affecting their developing brains. The Stop Harms of Addictive Social Media bill H.F. 4138/S.F. 4696 would put parents back in the driver’s seat in two simple but important ways. First, it would require children under 16 to obtain parental consent before creating social media accounts. Second, if the parent chooses to let their child sign up, it would prohibit the most addictive features Big Tech uses to glue kids to their platforms, such as targeted advertising, autoplay videos, and infinite scroll. This could result in less time on screens and more time playing with friends, studying, and getting adequate sleep. It could also mean happier kids who are less anxious, less worried, and more focused on the present moment.
The Time to Act is Now
What’s needed now is for leaders to come together in this moment and protect kids in a way that speaks to both the urgency of the issue and the evidence. Statesmanship is approaching the work of public policy with wisdom, and it is needed following the Annunciation tragedy.
Fortunately, there is still time this year to act.
We remain hopeful that enough legislators are statesmen and women who will transcend the false binaries of our politics and push back on both gun absolutism and those school leaders who put systems ahead of students. All kids deserve nothing less.
Please urge your legislators to support these pieces of legislation by visiting our action alert page at mncatholic.org/protectourkids, and be sure to join the Catholic Advocacy Network to be informed of all important updates at the Capitol.
The Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in Minnesota, provides an occasional “Inside the Capitol” update.
Above photo: A teddy bear is seen at a makeshift memorial at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis Aug. 28, 2025, following a shooting the previous day. A shooter opened fire with a rifle through the windows of the school’s church and struck children attending Mass Aug. 27 during the first week of school, killing two and wounding 17 people in an act of violence the police chief called “absolutely incomprehensible.” (OSV News photo/Tim Evans, Reuters)