Michigan Senate Democrats advance bump stock ban, ghost gun serialization bills from committee

Yahoo

20 hours ago

Attendees cheer at a gun safety rally at the state Capitol Building on April 22, 2025 | Photo: Anna Liz Nichols
Several firearm safety and control bills addressing a ban on bump stocks, serializing ghost guns and codifying the Michigan Capitol's concealed and open carry ban into law were advanced to the Michigan Senate on Thursday.
The bills were moved forward by the Senate Judiciary Committee following additional testimony on the reintroduced package – but not before the panel heard emotional testimony from gun violence prevention and safety advocates and gun rights groups, the latter of whom opposed the bills.
Senate Bill 224 would ban bump stocks, devices that let users essentially convert their semi-automatic weapons into rapid firing weapons. A bump stock was one of the primary tools used in the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, the deadliest in American history. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2024 struck down federal rules created after the shooting that defined a semi-automatic weapon equipped with a bump stock as an automatic weapon, which was already banned under law.
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The federal high court's decision, however, has not deterred Michigan Democrats from seeking ways to ban them at the state level. Michigan would join 17 others in adopting a similar policy.
Sponsored by Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), Senate Bill 224 would add bump stocks to a list of disallowed firearms equipment in Michigan.
'Destructive weapons of war should never have a place in our communities, yet devices that allow individuals to convert a rifle into a functioning machine gun remain legal in our state,' Polehanki said. 'And let me be clear: these are not tools for sport or self-defense. Bump stocks are used to inflict maximum harm in seconds, and their continued availability puts every one of our communities at risk. That's unacceptable, and it's time for a change.'
Senate Bills 331 and 332, both sponsored by Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak), would prohibit the purchase, possession and distribution of firearms without valid serial numbers, which are commonly referred as ghost guns because they are untraceable in federal and state firearms registries.
McMorrow's bill would make a first offense a misdemeanor with a penalty up to a $5,000 fine and one year in prison. Successive offenses would be considered felonies with up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
A member of McMorrow's staff delivered testimony on Thursday, but in a statement issued following the committee hearing, the senator said ghost guns were designed to deliberately evade accountability, requiring no background checks, no serial numbers and no way to trace them if used to commit a crime.
'As we see law enforcement officers recovering these untraceable firearms at an alarming rate, Michigan can't afford to wait,' McMorrow said. 'Just as rapidly as new weapon production methods emerge and evolve, so too must our laws and public safety efforts. Our communities deserve nothing less.'
Polenaki also sponsored Senate Bills 225 and 226 along with Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield).
The bills would make the Michigan Capitol Commission's open and concealed carry bans law, and would also apply to the Anderson House Office Building and the Binsfeld Senate Office Building.
At least 26 other states have a similar ban in place to maintain the safety of their Capitol grounds.
Bayer during testimony on Thursday recounted the fear she felt when armed protesters stormed Michigan's Capitol and remained in the Senate chamber's gallery, which several senators said made them feel intimidated as they voted on important legislation.
'Those types of threats and intimidation have no place in any work environment, especially not one where the work of the people is being done,' Bayer said. 'Every day, we have students and teachers, parents and public servants walk the halls of our Capitol. It's our responsibility to make sure they feel safe doing so, and this legislation will help ensure all people feel safe freely participating in our state's democracy.'
Members of Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action and various other gun safety groups, like Brady and Giffords, testified Thursday in support of the measures, hoping they would keep firearms out of the Capitol and keep ghost guns and bump stocks out of the hands of future mass shooters.
Linda Danders with Moms Demand Action said from the very first time armed extremists showed up at the Capitol to intimidate lawmakers, her group knew there was a real and imminent threat to the safety of Michiganders and the state's democracy.
'That's why we've been urging Michigan lawmakers to prohibit guns in the Capitol,' Danders said. 'Thanks to the efforts of many in this room, open carry of firearms in the Capitol Building is now prohibited, but there is still a dangerous loophole left for individuals to carry concealed, loaded handguns into and on Capitol grounds, including in this building.'
Tom Lambert, legislative director for Michigan Open Carry, said he was opposed to the package, calling it another episode in the continuing series of 'people who hate guns, don't know what they're talking about and they don't care,' referring to Senate Democrats' push for greater gun control.
'You have serious Second Amendment issues, you also have serious Fifth Amendment issues. Not only are you taking lawfully possessed property that people acquire lawfully and possess lawfully today and you're prohibiting it, you're in the alternative requiring them to deface these items that, again, lawfully, do not have a serial number on them,' Lambert said of the ghost guns bill. 'If you put one of these federally regulated serial numbers on them, you will decrease the value of those items, some of which are worth a significant amount, which constitutes a Fifth Amendment taking.' Lambert insinuated that could lead to legal consequences for the state that could cost a lot.
'I hope we put [that] in the budget to pay for all that stuff,' he said.
In response to emotional testimony from a student, Sen. Sue Shink (D-Northland Township) said no young person should have to worry about the threat of gun violence.
'Quite frankly, at my age, it's not something I should have to worry about either,' Shink said. 'And I'll just tell you, and also so that the people who are from those gun organizations know that, yeah, it's scary to know that they're out there pushing violence and pushing fear on people who just want to live in peace, who just want to be left alone to pursue their life, liberty and happiness. It's bullshit. You shouldn't have to put up with it.'