UPDATE 5/4/23 – St. Paul City Council members have opted to delay a vote on a proposal that would require changes to how firearms are stored within the city.

The proposed amendment requires guns and ammunition be stored separately, even in private homes.

Supporters say it’s an effort to reduce violent incidents caused by unlawful discharge of unsecured firearms.

However, the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus argues it’s unconstitutional, and also violates state statutes.

A final vote is now planned for Wednesday, May 17th.

A previous version of this report can be found below.

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INITIAL REPORT 5/3/23 – The St. Paul City Council is set to take up an amendment Wednesday afternoon that would affect weapons storage in Minnesota.

In April, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and City Council Member Rebecca Noecker announced the proposed changes to Chapter 225 of the St. Paul Legislative Code of weapons discharge. Those changes would require firearms to be safely stored and secured, with ammunition stored separately.

They say it’s in an effort to reduce incidents of harm caused by the unlawful discharge of unsecured firearms.

Noecker, Jane L. Prince, Nelsie Yang, Amy Brendmoen, Mitra Jalali, and Russel Balenger are sponsors for the bill, which the city council is set to take a final vote on at 3:30 p.m.

RELATED: St. Paul city leaders propose stricter gun storage with opposition

Rob Doar with MN Gun Owners Caucus previously told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reporter Pafoua Yang that the proposed amendment is in clear violation of State Statues 471.633. According to state statutes, local government can only regulate the discharge of firearms and adopt regulations identical to state law.

“The ordinance is very clearly about storage of firearms, there’s nothing remotely related to the discharge of firearms,” Doar said.

“The City of Saint Paul is preempted under state law from passing their own firearms regulation ordinances,” stated Bryan Strawser, chair of MN Gun Owners Caucus. “They are attempting to skirt restrictions imposed by the state legislature on all cities by defining ‘discharge of a firearm’ to include storage provisions for firearms.” 

The city council last met to discuss the legislation on April 26. A video of the session can be watched online.

The proposed ordinance currently says it’d take effect 30 days after its passage.