Minnesota Firearm News

New Mexico’s sweeping semi-automatic firearm ban, SB 17, has stalled after failing to advance before the legislative deadline—a significant victory for gun owners and small businesses who mobilized in strong opposition. While the proposal is effectively dead for this session, sponsors have signaled they intend to revisit similar legislation in the future, underscoring the need for continued vigilance and engagement.

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s confirmation hearing for ATF nominee Robert Cekada may have been smooth, but the real question for Second Amendment advocates goes beyond personalities. Under the Supreme Court’s Bruen standard, firearm regulations must align with the nation’s historical tradition—not modern policy preferences. As administrations change, constitutional limits—not individual directors—must remain the safeguard for “shall not be infringed.”

Minnesota lawmakers have introduced HF 3433 and SF 3654, companion bills that would ban the sale and transfer of many commonly owned semi-automatic rifles and standard-capacity magazines. The proposals raise significant constitutional questions under Heller and Bruen and could impose new compliance burdens on gun owners and retailers across the state if enacted.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has reversed its policy of automatically reporting veterans with fiduciaries to the FBI’s NICS system, restoring due process protections for affected service members. The change ends a practice that restricted firearm rights without a judicial finding and includes efforts to remove previously reported veterans from the database, while Congress works to make the reform permanent.

Virginia lawmakers are advancing a semi-automatic firearm and magazine ban despite RAND’s decade-long research review finding the evidence that such bans reduce violent crime is “inconclusive.” With federal studies reaching similar conclusions and rifles accounting for a small fraction of homicides, the debate raises broader questions about whether policy is being driven by data—or politics.

California has filed a lawsuit targeting the online distribution of 3D firearm design files, raising major First and Second Amendment concerns. The case centers on whether computer code qualifies as protected speech and whether states can regulate the sharing of digital firearm information. The outcome could shape how courts treat technical data, online manuals, and other constitutionally sensitive content nationwide.