I am sorry to report that state senator Matt Klein represents my district in the Minnesota legislature and now seeks a promotion to fill Rep. Angie Craig’s congressional seat, where he would represent my congressional district. It’s not the Peter Principle in action. It’s Minnesota’s Only the Wrong Survive varation on it.
With Klein sponsoring a home-invasion bill to infringe Minnesotans’ Second Amendment rights, I feel like the kind of innocent bystander Warren Zevon sang about in “Lawyers, Guns and Money”. Not from the Star Tribune, but rather from Professor Jonathan Turley, we learn of the pending bill directed at the AR-15:
[T]he most chilling such legislation may be in Minnesota, where state Sen. Matt Klein has introduced SF 4290. The law not only bans semiautomatic rifles and magazines with more than ten bullets, but also allows citizens to keep prior purchased weapons only if they agree to allow the police to enter their homes to inspect storage and safety conditions.
The Supreme Court has thus far dodged review of these bans. However, while courts have upheld the bans in places like Illinois, some of us believe that banning weapons like the AR-15 is arbitrary and unconstitutional.
More:
The AR-15 is the most popular gun in America and the number of these guns in private hands is continuing to rise rapidly, with one AR-15 purchased in every five new firearms sales. These AR-15s clearly are not being purchased for armored deer. Many are purchased for personal and home protection; it is also popular for target shooting and hunting. Many gun owners like the AR-15 because it is modular; depending on the model, you can swap out barrels, bolts and high-capacity magazines, or add a variety of accessories. While it does more damage than a typical handgun, it is not the most powerful gun sold in terms of caliber; many guns have equal or greater caliber.
Courts are divided on both the bans on semiautomatic weapons and the magazine bans.
However, what makes the Minnesota law so distinctive is the provision on home inspections. The law states that, in addition to securing state permission or certification for the possession of existing weapons, owners must “agree to allow the appropriate law enforcement agency to inspect the storage of the
device to ensure compliance with this subdivision.”So new sales of these models would be banned, while existing weapons could only be retained if owners agree to home inspections. It is part of an overall assault on gun rights not just to limit models but to add layers of regulation for those who wish to retain their weapons.
As the late Mr. Zevon put it, “Send lawyers, guns and money…” Professor Turley’s informative post can be accessed vis his X link below.
Across the country, Democrats are moving to ban some semiautomatic rifles as well as large magazines. The most extreme legislation may be in Minnesota, which could not only ban sales but also require current owners to agree to home inspections. https://t.co/OndbSGr9Cd
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) March 11, 2026
