Hidden Politics Behind Minnesota’s School Security Funding

Governor Tim Walz refused to protect 72,000 nonpublic school children with state security funding even after two kids died in a Catholic school shooting, sparking a lawsuit to expose his administration’s motives.

Story Snapshot

Judicial Watch sued Governor Tim Walz on March 11, 2026, for failing to respond to a public records request about his refusal to extend school security funding to nonpublic schools.
Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed and 17 others wounded during an August 2025 shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis.
Minnesota’s Safe Schools Program, created in 2019, excludes 72,000 students at Catholic, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim schools despite a $17.6 billion state budget surplus.
The lawsuit seeks transparency on Walz’s communications and decision-making after repeated pleas from Catholic bishops and school leaders following national school shootings.

Walz’s Selective Protection Leaves Faith-Based Students Vulnerable

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz excluded 72,000 nonpublic school students from state-funded security programs despite desperate pleas from faith community leaders and a massive budget surplus. The Safe Schools Program, established in 2019, provides funding for cameras, secure doors, and other safety measures exclusively to public schools. Catholic bishops, including Archbishop Bernard Hebda, and Minnesota Catholic Conference Executive Director Jason Adkins repeatedly urged Walz to expand the program following the 2022 Uvalde and 2023 Nashville school shootings. Walz declined even as Minnesota sat on a $17.6 billion budget surplus in 2023, raising serious questions about his priorities and political calculations.

Tragedy Strikes as Warnings Go Unheeded

On August 27, 2025, the consequences of Walz’s inaction became horrifyingly real when a gunman opened fire during an all-school Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis. Two children, just 8 and 10 years old, were killed, and 17 others suffered wounds in an attack that shocked Minnesota’s faith communities. The shooting occurred at a school that had been explicitly excluded from state security assistance despite serving families who pay Minnesota taxes. One day after the massacre, Judicial Watch submitted a public records request to Walz’s office seeking all documents related to his refusal to protect nonpublic schools. The governor’s office never responded, prompting the conservative watchdog organization to file suit.

Lawsuit Demands Transparency on Political Decision-Making

Judicial Watch filed its lawsuit on March 4, 2026, in Wright County District Court under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act. The complaint alleges Walz’s office violated state transparency laws by ignoring the records request submitted six months earlier. The organization seeks communications between the governor’s office and groups like the Minnesota Catholic Conference, proposals for security funding expansion including a $50 million Building and Cyber Security Grant Program, and any reconsiderations following the Annunciation shooting. Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton stated that Governor Walz left nonpublic school students unprotected and the lawsuit seeks transparency on why these children were abandoned despite clear warnings and available funding.

Union Influence and Budget Politics Suspected

The lawsuit raises questions about whether teachers’ unions like Education Minnesota influenced Walz’s decision to exclude faith-based and private schools from security assistance. Bipartisan legislative efforts to expand the Safe Schools Program stalled despite widespread support following national tragedies at Uvalde and Nashville. The timing is particularly suspect given Minnesota’s unprecedented budget surplus, which would have easily covered the proposed $50 million program without impacting public school funding. This pattern suggests political considerations may have trumped student safety, prioritizing union interests over protecting all Minnesota children regardless of where their parents choose to educate them. Such selective allocation of taxpayer resources undermines parental choice and equal protection principles.

Precedent Set by Tennessee Victory

Judicial Watch cited its recent March 2026 victory in Tennessee, where the Court of Appeals ordered the release of records related to the 2023 Covenant School shooting in Nashville. That case demonstrated the organization’s effectiveness in forcing government transparency following school tragedies. The Minnesota lawsuit follows the same strategic approach, using public records laws rather than direct policy challenges to expose government decision-making. If successful, the case could reveal whether political calculations, union pressure, or ideological opposition to school choice drove Walz’s refusal to protect nonpublic students. The outcome may also establish important precedents for transparency in state education funding decisions nationwide.

Broader Implications for School Choice and Safety

This lawsuit connects directly to national debates over school choice, parental rights, and equal treatment under the law. When government excludes faith-based schools from taxpayer-funded safety programs while those same families pay the taxes funding those programs, it raises constitutional concerns about religious discrimination and equal protection. The 72,000 students attending Minnesota’s Catholic, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim schools deserve the same security protections as their public school counterparts, especially when state coffers overflow with surplus funds. The case also highlights how government overreach manifests not just in action but in selective inaction, where bureaucrats pick winners and losers based on political considerations rather than the fundamental safety needs of children.