High-Capacity Ammunition Magazine Ban Written Testimony to Public Safety and Finance Policy Committee

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February 24, 2026

Chair Moller, Chair Novotny, and Members of the Committee:

The Minnesota Catholic Conference writes in support of H.F. 3402 (Tabke), which bans “highcapacity” ammunition magazines. This long overdue proposal is a reasonable limitation on access to dangerous weapons for which the benefits significantly outweigh the burdens on gun ownership. Please vote “yes.”

A practical, non-burdensome way to save lives

Feeding devices that hold more than ten rounds of ammunition allow a shooter to continuously fire bullets without reloading. Statistics from Everytown for Gun Safety¹ show that in mass shootings where four or more people were killed (2015-2022), incidents with high-capacity magazines led to:

• More than twice as many people killed
• Nearly ten times more people wounded per incident (on average)
• Nearly five times more people shot per incident (on average)

Without the availability of high-capacity magazines, the extra seconds it takes the gunman to reload or resort to another weapon allows more people to escape and seek safety. This short time lapse may make the difference between life and death.

Notably, this proposal does not limit the amount of ammunition that a gun owner may possess or carry. Although it may be considered an inconvenience to some, it will likely create a positive impact on public safety. According to one study, “bans of large-capacity magazines (LCMs) were associated with significant reductions in the incidence of fatal mass shootings,” and, along with background checks, “laws banning LCMs are the most effective gun policies for reducing fatal mass shootings.”²

Gun laws are necessary, but not sufficient

Mass shootings are about more than guns. Sadly, we live in a society that incubates troubled people whose nihilism leads them to destroy the lives of even the most innocent. These tragic events, shaped by our violent culture, are often born out of despair. Hurt people hurt people.

If we limit access to guns, in some instances those same people will find other ways to kill. There are many such cases. The needed policy changes and spiritual renewal should be more comprehensive than simply changing gun laws and should also include better access to mental health supports, improving school-safety measures, and curtailing substance abuse—including the growing prevalence of marijuana-induced psychosis among young men.

Yet gun policy matters. Commonsense regulations to prevent the most egregious acts of gun violence (including enforcing existing laws on the books to keep dangerous people off the street) come with little cost and might save hundreds of lives per year.

We should not give into cynicism

If we can take reasonable steps such as this one that keep dangerous weapons out of people’s hands, especially in ways that do not place burdensome limitations on the civil right of gun ownership and the natural right of self-defense, then we should do so.

Arguing that such laws are futile because people will travel to other states to make these purchases or criminals will ignore them altogether is like saying we should not put measures in place that guard against theft because “stealers gonna steal.” Yes, Congress renewing the now expired federal assault weapons ban would be a more effective policy instrument, but Minnesota can and should join 14 other states in enacting this prudent measure.

Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenney of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, himself a graduate of Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, states:

Our children are our most precious gift. After seeing and experiencing the devastation and pain of gun violence at Annunciation, which has tragically occurred in other places, too, we should continue to take reasonable public policy steps as a state to eliminate the risk of more children experiencing such a horrific act. With rights come responsibilities, and limitations on access to dangerous weaponry can protect the most fundamental of rights—the right to life.

Let’s come together as a community to find a way and discern together about a constructive way forward that, while not ignoring the complexity of the problem of gun violence, seeks to transcend partisanship and ideology to find concrete solutions that protect our children. This proposal does just that.

Thank you for your consideration.
Jason Adkins
Executive Director
[email protected]

1 https://www.everytown.org/solutions/prohibit-high-capacity-magazines/
2 Webster, et al. “Evidence concerning the regulation of firearms design, sale, and carrying on fatal mass shootings in the United States,” Criminology & Public Pub. Pol’y 171 (2020), available at https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12487.