Wednesday, November 12, 2025

Symbolic gesture will hurt St Paul taxpayers

St Paul Mayor Melvin Carter attempted to save his job by politicizing the August shooting at Minneapolis's Annunciation Catholic School shooting. Given his prospects of reelection were looking far from certain, he figured why not thumb his nose at state law by proposing an ordinance to ban certain firearms and accessories within his city? Maybe this self-anointed courage would inspire St Paul voters to elect him to another term?

Alas, this proposal wasn't enough to save Carter's job as he lost his reelection bid to Kaohly Her last week. Nevertheless, the St Paul City Council followed through on Carter's pledge

The St. Paul City Council unanimously approved an ordinance regulating firearms Wednesday, saying they want to be ready to put it in place if state law changes.

Minutes after, the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus filed a lawsuit against the city, as the group had said it would if the ordinance was enacted.

Last month, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and suburban mayors called again on the state to repeal a preemption law that bars cities and counties from regulating firearms, ammunition or their components.

Ah, but no such repeal was ever enacted. So as promised, there will be lawyers, for which the residents of St Paul will be on the hook for the cost of defending against this lawsuit.

Bryan Strawser, chair of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, said in a Wednesday statement after the lawsuit was served on the city: “This illegal ordinance will immediately have a chilling effect on peaceable gun owners in our capital city.

“It’s unfortunate that the City Council and Mayor have chosen to waste taxpayer dollars defending a performative ordinance that clearly violates state law,” he continued.


Say, you know else acknowledged this waste of taxpayer dollars? Why, that would be now Mayor-elect Her, who last month called out Mayor Carter on this toothless ordinance. 





Enjoy Mayor Carter's parting gift, St. Paulites. 


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