If you live in a "blue" state, this will all look familiar.
If you're in a purple state run by a Democratic majority that's had its taste of power, it may be new to you, so listen up.
In the wake of the spree killing at Annunciation Church, the DFL has switched from "performative grief" mode to its inevitable follow-up, the "never waste a crisis" phase.
The Democrats' imperative to try not to appear to be "the crazy ones" in the wake of the tragedy got off to a rough start, as a visit to Minneapolis by the second couple, JD and Usha Vance, was completely predictably met by a clot of professional protesters and Karens, doing what they do best: make scripted noises on command:
As Vice President JD Vance paid his respects to the victims of last week’s deadly mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, protesters standing by a "progress pride" flag with transgender colors heckled him from across the street.
Vance, who is Catholic, paid a visit to the site of the shooting and visited with victims and their families on Wednesday.
The vice president and second lady Usha Vance were seen pausing for a moment in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary outside the church before he entered. As he entered, protesters could be heard shouting various slogans, including "protect our kids," "you’re a coward" and "do better."
But the action is slowly moving from South Minneapolis across the river to the state's capitol in Saint Paul, where Governor Walz is planning a special legislative session to "address gun violence".
It's difficult to see what he'll accomplish with a special session: in the 2023-24 sessions, when Walz's Democratic Farmer-Labor (DFL) party had complete control of the Legislature and the Executive branch, and jammed down some of the most extreme policy changes in the country, squandering an $18 billion surplus along the way, they were still stymied in trying to ram through what started as a very ambitious gun control agenda; while they passed "universal" background checks and a "red flag" law that was supposed to prevent epsides like this but, as predicted, did not, they swung and missed on assault weapon bans, magazine capacity limits and other draconisan measures.
And now, Walz and the DFL face a Republican party that has voted 100% in final votes on Second Amendment issues for almost 25 years, a House of Representatives that's tied sat 67 votes for each party, and a Senate with a one vote DFL majority that rides on four members from moderate districts outside the inner metro with more than enough shooters to cause them electoral headaches.
And, by the way, that GOP contingent knows how to count:
Governor Tim Walz refused to provide funding for school security at Catholic schools, but now he’s turning a Catholic school shooting into political leverage for gun control. pic.twitter.com/SmNAASUPEq
— Mercedes Schlapp (@mercedesschlapp) September 5, 2025
Turns out one of the very few things the DFL majority in 2023-24 didn't bury in taxpayer money and support for schools in general: in addition to his administration pushing absurd guidelines for police "school resources officers" in public schools, which were finally beaten down by the legislature over the caterwauling of the DFL's progressive base, Walz slashed security assistance funding for private and parochial schools:
Gov. Walz at Annunciation:
— 🇺🇸 & 🔥 (@FlagAndFire) August 30, 2025
“Unfortunately, we have been through these types of things before.”
Unfortunately—he’s right.
Because in 2023, the Minnesota Catholic Conference begged him to include Catholic schools in $50M of state security funding.
They warned the need was… pic.twitter.com/UUBFa6GMgp
Suffice to say, the MNGOP will be motivated, and the DFL's noise machine will be working overtime.
At any rate - given that Walz can't win anything in policy terms in a special session, barring the very unlikely defection of any Republicans and the likely cost in outstate votes and seats if he did, it'd appear that the only purpose for the special session wlll be to fundraise, and create campaign chanting points for, the DFL.
All of it at exquisite taxpayer expense, naturally.
