Tagged: gun control

By now, you’ve probably heard that Governor Rick Snyder yesterday vetoed the bill that would have allowed anybody to carry a concealed weapon into elementary schools, or other places, like churches and day care centers, where they are now banned.

This is being hailed as a great victory for gun control. The bill’s sponsor, State Senator Mike Green of Mayville, was very disappointed that the governor wouldn’t sign it.

The fact is, however, that this really isn’t a victory for gun control at all. There are a lot of myths about what happened here. So allow me to try to puncture them.

First of all, it would have been politically impossible for any governor in a major state to have signed this bill four days after the Newtown massacre. But it is important to note that all indications are that Governor Snyder would have vetoed this bill even if 20 first-graders hadn’t been murdered in their classrooms last Friday.

The day before the shooting, Snyder’s director of legislative affairs told Senator Green that the governor would veto it unless schools were given the option to “opt out,” to say, that sorry, we are not allowing concealed weapons here.

Governor Rick Snyder must decide whether to approve or veto legislation that would allow concealed pistols in churches, day care centers, and public schools.

The governor said the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings will play a role in his thinking.         

The legislation would allow enhanced concealed pistol privileges for license holders who get additional training and range practice.

The governor faces growing pressure on the bills from both sides on the question of gun control.      

The governor said on Detroit Public Television the Connecticut school killings are on his mind as he ponders his decision.

“It does impact—you can’t have it not impact you and my thoughts and prayers go with everyone in Connecticut. I know that we all share that view,” Snyder said.

But the governor said he has not made up his mind yet. His administration was officially neutral on the gun bills when they were voted on by the Legislature.

He will have 14 days to decide once the bills are formally presented to him.

These are some wild days in Michigan.

With thousands of protestors at the capitol, Right to Work has become the 1200 lb gorilla in Lansing: it makes the 600 lb gorillas look small.

In other words, with time still left in this lame duck session,  Michiganders could wind up with a whole slew of controversial new laws next year.

Here’s a short list:

Eight Michigan mayors are urging the state Legislature to reject a measure that would make it easier for people to buy handguns.

The coalition of mayors sent a letter this week to Senate and House leadership and to Governor Rick Snyder. It says a package of bills making its way through the Legislature would add to the difficulties of police trying to protect communities.

The group includes the mayors of Detroit, Flint, Ann Arbor, and Dearborn.   

The legislation would no longer require a person to license a handgun before buying or carrying it. It would also get rid of a registry keeping track of the criminal backgrounds of handgun owners.

Critics of the proposal say there should be background checks on people who buy firearms at gun shows, over the internet, or from private individuals. They say these account for nearly half of all guns purchased in the state.    

The House passed the bills in June. It’s not clear whether the Senate will take it up this year.

John Barnes at MLive.com reports today on potential new changes coming for Michigan's concealed handgun law.

The details of the proposal are expected to be taken up tomorrow morning in the Michigan Senate's Natural Resources, Environment and Great Lakes Committee.

The changes could allow license holders who receive extra training to carry handguns in places currently off-limits under the law, such as sports stadiums, churches, and schools.

Barnes writes that the proposed measure hopes to increase the accuracy of reports on permit holders who violate the law:

Additional measures in the bill are aimed at ensuring mandatory annual reports on permit holders who run afoul of the law are more accurate.

The MLive investigation last summer found many prosecutors and clerks refused to do them. Those that did frequently made mistakes, under-reporting convictions and revocations for gun- and non-gun crimes.

A Michigan state senator wants to allow people with concealed carry permits to take their weapons into churches, bars and other ‘gun-free zones’.

A decade ago state lawmakers banned gun owners from taking their weapons into certain public places out of fear of gunplay. But State Senator Mike Green of Mayville says experience has shown those fears were unwarranted, since he believes people have been carrying in ‘gun-free zones’ already without incident. 

It was an obstacle ten years ago because people feared, a good, honest, law-abiding citizen would use it in a way that would hurt or harm other people.  But the fact is, in 11 years there’s not been hardly anything that happened like that. 

Green’s legislation would also put the Secretary of State’s office in charge of processing concealed carry permit applications. He says local gun boards are not completing background checks on the applicants fast enough.