Some of the widespread cubicles at this yr’s Minnesota State Truthful bears a easy signal: “By no means Walz.” The sales space provides t-shirts and prizes for fairgoers – all emblazoned with the “By no means Walz” brand. The road for the sales space grows so lengthy at instances that it poses visitors issues for cops patrolling the fairgrounds.
Bryan Strawser, chairman of the Minnesota Gun House owners Caucus, just isn’t shocked by the sales space’s reputation. He’s watched Gov. Tim Walz’s profession for the reason that vice-president candidate first served in Congress. Walz, Strawser instructed the Second Modification Basis, poses a transparent and current hazard to the Second Modification rights of your entire nation, ought to he and Kamala Harris take management of the White Home.
“If elected, Walz would grow to be more practical at pushing gun management that any vice chairman we’ve had in many years, as a result of he can communicate the language. He’s a hunter – that half’s not pretend. He actually does hunt,” Strawser mentioned. “Folks will understand him as having extra credibility on the problem. Biden and Harris aren’t gun homeowners, however he’s. He might win some of us over who don’t know any higher.”
When Walz served in Congress from 2007 to 2019, he was an A-rated, NRA-endorsed congressman.
“He by no means voted for any anti-gun laws, and he even celebrated the Heller choice with us,” Strawser mentioned of the landmark 2008 Supreme Courtroom opinion that mentioned people have a Second Modification proper to maintain and bear arms.
All the pieces modified when Walz ran for governor. One other candidate was endorsed by the Democratic Celebration – recognized within the state because the Minnesota Democrat-Farmer-Labor social gathering, or DFL. Walz might solely run to the left of the DFL-endorsed candidate within the major, Strawser mentioned, and this included altering his long-held positions on weapons.
“He utterly flipped,” Strawser mentioned. “Even earlier than the state conference, he got here out in favor of red-flag legal guidelines, an assault weapon ban, elevating the acquisition age to 21 and extra. As governor, he proposed common background checks, elevating the age to 21, journal restrictions and a ban on assault weapons.”
Strawser mentioned he and his members have little doubt that if elected, Walz will name for extra restrictive gun legal guidelines on the nationwide stage.
“I feel he’ll push for journal restrictions, bans on sure rifles, nationwide common background checks and, if he can get it by way of, elevating the age to 21 for all firearm purchases,” he mentioned.
Strawser warns that Walz is difficult to pin down on his positions, however he shouldn’t be underestimated. He’s a severe politician, and he’s recognized to have a mood.
“Our members suppose he’s a political chameleon. You can not belief what he says in regards to the Second Modification due to how he’s flipped. In the event you speak to Democratic gun homeowners like him, they too fear about how far he’ll go. We have now a chapter of liberal gun homeowners right here. They’re very dissatisfied with him. They’ll’t get him to vary his positions, they usually can’t work out why he flipped,” he mentioned. “It’s onerous to know what Walz actually believes. He was in Congress for 12 years and instructed constituents he believed within the Second Modification. Now, he’s on the opposite finish of that equation.”
Primarily based on his actions as Minnesota’s governor, Strawser mentioned it’s not too tough to find out how Walz would infringe upon the Second Modification as vice chairman.
“Walz would have signed any gun-control invoice they put in entrance of him,” he mentioned.
This story is courtesy of the Second Modification Basis’s Investigative Journalism Mission. Click on right here to make a tax-deductible donation to assist the undertaking.
