St. Paul weighs stricter gun storage requirements

A St. Paul proposal to significantly tighten gun storage rules within city limits is already facing the threat of a legal challenge.

What's happening: A draft amendment, formally introduced at the city council yesterday, would prohibit gun owners from leaving a firearm unattended and unsecured without a locking device in a car or other place where it could be accessed by someone else.

• Ammunition would need to be stored separately, in such a way that it "is not readily available."

The big picture: While gun violence is down in St. Paul year over year, injuries and homicides rose steadily between 2020 and 2022. Law enforcement officials say stolen guns, especially from cars, are a big part of the problem.

• Close to two-thirds of the 150 stolen firearms recovered by St. Paul police since 2020 over that time frame were taken from unattended vehicles.

What they're saying: "This change makes clear what we're trying to achieve: Fewer stolen guns, resulting in fewer firearms illegally discharged and fewer gunshot victims," St. Paul Police deputy chief Paul Ford told the council.

The other side: Rob Doar, senior vice president of government affairs for the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, called the proposal "ineffective [and] unconstitutional," arguing that it would violate Minnesota laws preventing local governments from preempting state gun laws.

• He said the group, which supports other efforts to reduce gun violence, would file a legal challenge "immediately" if it passed.

The intrigue: The council amendment adds the rules into city code related to discharging of guns, something that local governments do generally have jurisdiction over.

• Mayor Melvin Carter defended the approach Tuesday, saying the measure will "pass both a common sense and a legal test." Doar said he believes the restrictions still wouldn’t pass constitutional muster.

Context: Current state law doesn't mandate gun locks or specific storage standards, though it does make it illegal to negligently keep or leave a loaded firearm in a place where a child could access it.

• A gun storage proposal at the state Legislature that's similar to the St. Paul measure is not expected to pass this year.

Of note: Carter said that while he's unaware of any Minnesota cities with a storage rule on the books, some in other states have adopted ordinances with the same goal.

• A spokesperson cited Seattle, Davis, Calif., and Washington, D.C. as examples.

What's next: The amendment, sponsored by Council Members Rebecca Noecker, Jane Prince and Nelsie Yang, is scheduled to get a public hearing on April 26. A vote could follow a week after.

What we're watching: Carter says he also wants to ban guns at the city's recreation centers following several shootings at the sites this year.

• He told reporters Tuesday that he's still exploring whether that change could be made at the city level or if it would require action from the state Legislature.