House Speaker Lisa Demuth protected by ‘red flag’ law she voted against

A woman alleged to have threatened Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, had her guns confiscated by way of a 2023 “red flag” law, which allows for the temporary removal of firearms from people deemed to be a risk to themselves or others. 

Demuth voted against the red flag law when it passed in 2023. 

In February, the Minnesota State Patrol requested an extreme risk protection order — the legal term for the gun confiscation procedure — to protect Demuth and Rep. Patti Anderson, R-Dellwood, from a woman who is alleged to have left the lawmakers multiple threatening voicemails less than seven months after a man shot and killed Demuth’s predecessor, Melissa Hortman. 

Rachel Welsch, a 43-year-old Hugo woman, left a voicemail for Demuth saying she was attending “2A” — 2nd Amendment — classes, and that she’d like to see Demuth “fall at the end of a barrel,” according to the State Patrol’s petition for an extreme risk protection order.

A judge ordered Welsch to surrender her firearms to law enforcement or a dealer on March 25. 

Minnesota judges have granted more than 115 so far this year, denying just one in March. 

The extreme risk protection order law was passed despite Republican opposition in 2023, when the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party controlled both chambers of the Legislature. 

Demuth, who is running for governor while presiding over the 67-67 state House, is the focus of Democrats’ ire as they attempt to pass stricter gun laws in the wake of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting. The DFL-controlled Senate passed a bill that would ban the sale of so-called assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Demuth and House Republicans have prevented a vote on the measure.

A bipartisan agreement to end the legislative session does not contain any gun control measures.

Supporters of stricter gun control bills gathered at the Capitol Saturday morning as House Democrats ended a two-day sit-in of the chamber, calling on Demuth to put the assault weapons ban up for a vote. 

The legislative session ends Sunday at midnight.