Minnesota Democrats have launched a sit-in inside the state House chambers after a procedural motion to advance a sweeping gun control package failed along party lines late Thursday. The protest, which began immediately after the vote, is expected to continue until lawmakers reconvene Saturday at noon at the call of Republican Speaker Lisa Demuth, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
“Until we hold the vote, we will sit,” said Rep. Liish Kozlowski, a Duluth Democrat, urging colleagues to join the demonstration. “Together we can sit, sing, stand, do a healing dance, and we can vote. It’s OK to change your mind. Show us your courage, let us leave this gun violence behind.”
The bill at the center of the standoff, already approved by the state Senate, would enact several gun control measures, including a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. The legislation was introduced following a mass shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis last August that left two children dead and 21 others injured, as well as after the June murder of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband at their home.
Republicans blocked the motion to bring the bill to the floor late Thursday, with GOP floor leader Rep. Harry Niska signaling unified opposition. “Minnesotans, see through your theater,” Niska said. “This bill is not ready, no matter how urgent the problem is, to pass.”
Tensions escalated later that night when a heated exchange erupted between Rep. Aisha Gomez, a Minneapolis Democrat, and Rep. Elliott Engen, a Republican from White Bear Lake Township. Videos posted to social media show Gomez shouting, “think of them, not yourself,” though the rest of the conversation is unclear. Engen later claimed on X that Gomez told him to “go f’ing shoot myself.” GOP leaders called for Gomez’s removal as tax chair, with Demuth stating, “This kind of behavior is unacceptable, and it makes every person in this place less safe. Someone willing to spew hate and accost colleagues is unfit to serve as a leader in Minnesota.”
Gomez denied the accusation in a statement to FOX 9, calling it a “total fabrication” of her words. “At no point did I say what the right-wing media would have you believe was said,” she said.
The sit-in underscores deepening divisions in Minnesota over gun policy, as Democrats push for stricter laws in the wake of high-profile shootings. The protest also comes amid broader national debates on gun control, with similar measures stalled in other states. In Washington, lawmakers have been grappling with related issues, such as bipartisan efforts on cryptocurrency regulation and calls for federal marijuana legalization.
As the sit-in continues, Democrats are vowing to hold the floor until a vote is taken. The standoff is likely to intensify when the House reconvenes Saturday, with both parties digging in on their positions.
