Gun control bill signed by Gov. Walz amid crime wave struck down as Second Amendment advocates sound off

A federal appeals court ruled that Minnesota's law that bans people ages 18 to 20 from obtaining permits to carry guns is unconstitutional, prompting criticism over Governor Tim Walz's stance on the Second Amendment. 

"As a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, I welcome the federal appeals court's decision regarding Minnesota's law. This ruling affirms the constitutional rights of all law-abiding citizens to bear arms," Republican Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "It is crucial, especially at a time when crime rates are a concern, that individuals have the means to protect themselves and their families."

Stauber, who has served in the House of Representatives since January 2019, is known for his background in law enforcement and his focus on public safety.

"Governor Walz’s administration has indeed taken positions that many, including myself, view as hostile toward the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment. This ruling is a reminder of the importance of protecting these liberties against overreach," Stauber continued. 

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Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler refuted Gov. Tim Walz's, D-Minn., 2018 claims that he once carried weapons "in war." (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

"This decision is not just about carrying guns; it's about respecting and upholding our constitutional rights. It is a significant step toward ensuring that these rights are preserved for all Minnesotans," Stauber said. 

Vice President Kamala Harris added Walz as her running mate on the 2024 Democratic ticket for the White House, despite the pair previously having wildly differing views on the Second Amendment and gun control. 

Back when Walz served as a congressman from 2007 to 2019, in a district that typically voted red, he was seen as a champion of gun rights and hunting.  

However, Walz has since changed his tune to champion gun control measures, and lost his high marks among the Second Amendment community. The NRA slammed Walz as a "political chameleon" in a statement provided to Fox News Digital on Tuesday after Harris officially announced him as her running mate. 

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"Tim Walz is a political chameleon – changing his positions to further his own personal agenda. In Congress, Walz purported to be a friend of gun owners to receive their support in his rural Minnesota district. Once he had his eyes set on other offices, he sold out law-abiding Minnesotans and promoted a radical gun control agenda that emboldened criminals and left everyday citizens defenseless. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz cannot be trusted to defend freedom and our Constitutional rights," Randy Kozuch, chairman of the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF), said in a statement.

Walz wrote in an op-ed in 2018 that his views on guns are "evolving in some ways," but that he's "always been a reformer."

Walz's previous gun stances stand in stark contrast to Harris' celebration in recent years that the Biden administration would take on the NRA and win, citing Biden's work as a senator when he voted to ban semi-automatic firearms in 1994 as part of a major crime bill. 

"@JoeBiden has taken on the @NRA and won. He can do it again," Harris tweeted last year, accompanied by a campaign ad celebrating Biden’s determination to "ban assault weapons." 

Since Walz took office as governor of Minnesota in 2019, violent crime has been on the rise.

Data from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety reviewed by Fox News Digital shows that in 2018, the year before Walz took office, the state recorded 104 murders, a figure that increased by more than 12% in 2019, when the state recorded 117 murders. Murders in the state in 2020, when violent crimes spiked nationwide, skyrocketed to 185. In 2021, the state recorded 201 murders, 182 in 2022, and 172 last year. 

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Data from the state shows that in the four years before Walz took office, from 2015-2018, there was an average of about 113 murders recorded in the state each year, which has increased to 171 murders, according to the yearly average under Walz’s five years as governor. 

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report.

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