Minnesota Senate OKs sweeping semiautomatic ban and school-safety funding

The Minnesota Senate passed a comprehensive gun-control bill that would ban semiautomatic weapons and provide funding for school safety and mental health counseling, moving along party lines with all DFL senators voting in favor and Republicans opposed. The measure would grandfather current owners but require registration; Gov. Walz urged the House to act, though the House previously rejected a weaker version and time is running out with only two weeks left in the session.