LANSING — Stating that the people of Michigan are turning pain into purpose, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a package of common sense gun legislation into law. The bill signing comes after the tragic shootings at Michigan State University and Oxford High School. The Kaiser Family Foundation recently reported that gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in America. Michigan joins other states such as Colorado and California by standing up to the weapons makers and putting children first.
“Today, we are turning our pain into purpose and honoring those we have lost with commonsense gun violence prevention legislation supported by a majority of Michiganders,” said Governor Whitmer. “Universal background checks and safe storage are long-overdue steps we are proud to take today that will save lives by keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and domestic abusers and children in the home. I want to thank my partners in the legislature for getting this done, the advocates who fought so hard to make this happen, and every Michigander impacted by gun violence who shared their stories. We will keep working together to prevent mass shootings, reduce gun violence, and save lives.”
A rundown of the bills provided by the Governor’s office lays out what each bill does.
Senate Bill 79, sponsored by state Senator Bayer (D- West Bloomfield), will protect children by requiring an individual to keep a firearm being stored or left unattended on a premises unloaded and locked with a locking device or stored in a locked box or container if it is reasonably known that a minor is or is likely to be present on the premises and establish a range of penalties for a violation. The bill will also require the Department of Health and Human Services to inform the public of the penalties, publish lethal means counseling literature, and provide that literature to federally licensed firearms dealers and revise the wording of a notice that a federally licensed firearms dealer must post on the premises where firearms are sold.
Senate Bill 80, sponsored by state Senator McDonald Rivet(D-Bay City) is the senator’s first public act. The legislation updates the state’s criminal code for safe storage of firearms for child access protection.
Senate Bills 81 and 82, sponsored by state Senators Irwin and Hertel, lower the costs of firearm safety devices to ensure owners can safely store their guns, keeping them away from children and out of the hands of criminals.
House Bills 4138 and 4142, sponsored by state Representatives Churches and Carter, protect Michigan communities by closing loopholes in the law and expanding universal background checks to all firearms.
“It is our collective responsibility to keep students safe,” said state Representative Jaime Churches (D-Grosse Ile). “This legislation provides a foundation to help build a safer Michigan – so no student, no worshiper, no law enforcement officer – has to fear for their safety. As state representative for Downriver, I will advocate for reasonable, common-sense policies to protect our communities from gun violence.”
The bill signing brought praise from advocates for lowering the amount of gun violence and childhood death in America including former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords who was a victim of gun violence in 2011, ““This is a great day for Michiganders. The gun safety bills signed into law today will undoubtedly save lives and make the state of Michigan a safer place to live. No one should have to go about their lives and fear gun violence,” said Giffords. “Today’s bill signing was a major step forward to stopping gun violence in Michigan. We thank Governor Whitmer, Speaker Tate, Leader Brinks, and all legislators who supported these important bills and the advocates who made this bill a reality.”
“This legislation is a commonsense approach to keeping children and communities safe,” said Marquette County Sherriff Gregory Zyburt. ” These bills will ensure those that do not qualify to purchase guns, don’t. I’m thankful to work alongside legislators to prevent gun violence and keep firearms out of the hands of individuals who intend to harm others.”
Both Governor Whitmer and the leadership in the legislature have indicated that more legislation is in the works to curb gun violence in Michigan.
