Minnesota lawmakers remain deadlocked over gun measures following Annunciation attack

What we're hearing: Walz, the only one with the power to reconvene the Legislature, said Tuesday that talks are ongoing and he remains "open to a deal" that involves votes on both gun measures and other proposals related to school safety and mental health support.

• "Just let the members vote on it," he said of his push for an agreement to put legislation banning assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines up for a floor vote. "And if … the Republican legislators believe it's a bad idea, then you can simply vote no."

The other side: Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) said Walz, who still hasn't released his own promised package of specific gun reform policies, "has given no language or detail of what he wants voted on aside from vague bans."

• "If he is serious about wanting a vote, he should be honest about what he's actually looking for a vote on instead of playing politics to further his campaign," she said in a statement.

State of play: A Senate working group heard gut-wrenching testimony from Annunciation families and doctors as it debated about a dozen ideas to reduce gun violence at informational hearings last week.

• Some ideas — including a GOP-backed pitch to provide additional funding for school safety and a proposal to increase penalties for impersonating a peace officer — seem poised to attract bipartisan support.

Yes, but: A ban on assault-style weapons, which has the backing of many Democrats and some parents of Annunciation victims, doesn't appear to have the necessary votes to pass.

• Democrats and Republicans on the Senate panel also clashed over tougher firearm safety storage laws, new gun safety training rules, and restrictions on "ghost" guns, as KSTP reported.

Friction points: Supporters of tougher gun laws point to the carnage assault-style weapons can create and research showing such firearms are used in a growing number of mass shootings.

• Critics argue that bans won't solve the mental health issues that experts say are a root cause of many attacks and warn that the proposals could be unconstitutional.

Between the lines: Any measures would need GOP votes to pass the tied House, and House Republicans did not include any new gun restrictions in the package of proposals they released earlier this month,

• Two vacancies in the Senate mean bipartisan support is needed in that chamber, too, for now.

The intrigue: Questions remain about whether Senate Democrats would have the 34 necessary votes even if they retained their one-vote majority in a pair of November special elections, given that opposition from several moderate DFL lawmakers prevented similar proposals from passing when they had full control.

Case in point: Sen. Rob Kupec (DFL-Moorhead) told MinnPost recently that he's not sure a ban would do much to protect Minnesotans as long as targeted weapons remain available in neighboring states.

• "In the end, it's really something the federal government needs to do," he said.

Another moderate Democrat, Sen. Judy Seeberger, told Axios that she's "more than willing to consider any proposals that will reduce the number of gun deaths and encourage safe gun ownership in our state."

Inside the room: The length and topics for a special session are typically pre-negotiated, with the governor and legislative leaders agreeing on the parameters before it's called.

• Walz and leaders have met several times behind closed doors in recent weeks, to no avail. Demuth called last week for bringing those conversations into public view.

What we're watching: Walz said Tuesday that families affected by the Annunciation shooting are reaching out to legislators to make their case.