Ramsey Co. judge blocks binary trigger ban enforcement

A Ramsey County District Court judge struck down Minnesota's binary trigger ban in a ruling filed Monday.

Second District Court Judge Leonardo Castro severed the binary trigger policy from the broader law and said it was clear the Legislature, which passed the measure under DFL leadership, violated the single-subject rule.

“Make no mistake, during the late hours of May 19, 2024, lawmaking did not ‘occur within the framework of the constitution,’” Castro wrote in his ruling. “This Court respectfully suggests that if there has ever been a bill without a common theme and where ‘all bounds of reason and restraint seem to have been abandoned,’ this is it.” 

Guns equipped with binary triggers can fire a round both on the pull of the trigger and its release, which effectively doubles the rate of fire. 

The Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus and the Upper Midwest Law Center did not argue the case on Second Amendment grounds. The groups focused on how the policy passed in a sprawling 1,400-page tax bill approved in the final minutes of the 2024 legislative session. They argued that the vast omnibus bill violated a rule that requires legislation to address a single subject. 

“We felt like the more appropriate avenue for this, as it's kind of a popular means of introducing unpopular legislation, is to try to put some guardrails around the single subject clause under the Minnesota Constitution,” said Rob Doar, with the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. 

Doar said binary triggers are “protected as accessories under the Second Amendment” and legislation that bans them has been a “popular way to get gun control bills passed through the legislature.”

Castro’s ruling blocks enforcement of the ban and could open the door for other groups to challenge other components of the 2024 bill. 

"This is an important win for transparency and accountability for the legislature,” said Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson in a statement. 

The lawsuit was filed against Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty and Minnesota Superintendent of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Drew Evans.

“This law was passed in the aftermath of the horrific killing of three first responders in Burnsville and was intended to help ensure such a tragedy does not happen again,” a spokesman for the governor said. “The governor stands firmly behind this law.”

Gov. Walz said he plans to appeal the decision.