Le Sueur County hears divided public on keeping"shotgun zone" or aligning with state rifle statute

The Le Sueur County Board of Commissioners met March 19 at the Justice Center in Le Center for a public hearing on whether the county should retain a local ordinance designating a shotgun zone or defer to state statute and classify the area as a rifle zone. Commissioner Danny O’Keefe framed the question as two explicit options: “1st Option – An ordinance will be passed to remain shotgun zone. 2nd Option – We will follow state statute to be rifle zone.”

Dozens of residents testified or submitted written comments. In the in-person list the transcript records 16 people expressing support for the rifle option and six expressing support for keeping a shotgun zone; one in-person comment addressed the state flag instead of the firearms question. Online submissions in the record show roughly 13 entries favoring the rifle option and two favoring the shotgun option, with one commenter posing a procedural question about hunting blinds. The board opened public comment on a motion by Commissioner Steve Rohlfing, closed the comment period on a motion by Commissioner David Preisler and then adjourned the hearing on a motion by Commissioner Dennis Tietz. The transcript contains no recorded formal vote or ordinance action on the ordinance-versus-statute question.