St. Paul might become the first Minnesota city to introduce a new gun violence prevention ordinance, as part of a coordinated effort among several Minnesota cities calling for stronger firearm regulation.

The proposal, introduced at the city council’s Oct. 22 meeting, would ban the public possession of assault weapons, large-capacity magazines and binary triggers within city limits. The proposal would prohibit untraceable ghost guns, restrict firearms in public spaces such as parks and libraries and require clear signage to inform residents of those restrictions.

The ordinance would not take effect unless the Minnesota Legislature amends the state’s firearm preemption law, which prohibits local governments from enacting their own gun regulations. 

“If the legislature is unable to do something different, local leaders will,” Mayor Melvin Carter said in a press release.

Council President Rebecca Noecker said the initiative is a timely call to action. She added the proposal comes from a backdrop of a series of Minnesota shootings, including the assassination of state Rep. Melissa Hortman and Mark Hortman and the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting.

“Gun violence is a horrible and devastating epidemic in our country and close to home,” Noecker said. “These are all common-sense measures that the vast majority of Americans and St.t Paul residents support. This is something that we know our constituents want to be enacted.”

Gun violence recently surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for children in the country. Noecker said the recent incidents, combined with the state’s inaction, motivated city leaders to move forward.

“By passing the law, not just in St. Paul but in many other cities in the state, our hope is to really pressure the legislature by showing we’re not just talking the talk,” Noecker said. “We are chomping at the bit, we are lined up at the door. We just need the state to open the door.”

While the city frames the ordinance as a message to the state, some gun rights advocates say the move crosses a legal line.

“State law is crystal clear — cities don’t have the authority to regulate firearms, no matter how they try to dress it up,” Rob Doar, senior vice president of government affairs at the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, said in a statement. 

Doar said any ordinance that violates the state preemption law is void. 

“A deferred effective date doesn’t make an illegal ordinance legal; it just means taxpayers will end up footing the bill to defend something that can never take effect,” Doar said.

The group called the city’s move “political theater at taxpayer expense,” arguing that the proposal diverts funds from real public safety efforts.

Noecker rejected that characterization, saying public money would only be spent if the ordinance were challenged in court.

“We’ll only have to spend public money defending this if the gun owners sue the city,” Noecker said. “If they want to save taxpayer dollars, they can simply avoid suing us.”

She added the measure is meant as a pressure tactic, not a symbolic gesture. 

“When my kids are standing outside in the cold waiting for me to unlock the car, that’s not symbolic: it’s pressure to act,” Noecker said. “This is something that shows how ready we are. And it is useful, as a pressure tactic, even if it can’t be enacted right away.”

The Council will hold a public hearing on the proposal on Nov. 5.