5 days ago
Bill proposals by Michigan Democrats focus on ghost guns, bump stocks
The Brief
Michigan Democrats are advancing new gun safety bills.
The bills focus on ghost guns, bump stocks and other conversion devices.
2nd Amendment advocates blasted the bills which would not impact crime but legal gun owners.
FOX 2 - New gun safety measures are one step closer to becoming law in Michigan. Lawmakers advanced a set of bills that would prohibit ghost guns, ban bump stocks, and keep firearms out of the State Capitol complex.
Dig deeper
The Democrat-sponsored bills were sent forward by the Michigan Senate Judiciary Committee claiming to help curb gun violence.
A key element would address ghost guns. The people who've lost loved ones involving these types of weapons, think the legislation is necessary.
Denise Wieck is with the group Moms Demand Action.
"My son who was 17, four years ago, May 31st, he was shot in the head by a 17-year-old best friend who bought a ghost gun kit," she said.
Ghost guns are sold in kits without serial numbers, which are hard for law enforcement to track.
But opponents say the bill say it isn't efficient.
Brenden Boudreau is with Great Lakes Gun Rights.
"I find it laughable that this body talks about criminal justice reform," he said. "Yet we are seriously considering throwing countless Michiganders, law-abiding citizens today, in jail for certain things they lawfully own."
The legislation would also prohibit bump stocks and other conversion devices.
"Essentially they modify semi-automatic weapons to fire at a rate similar to that of a machine gun," said Spencer Myers of the Giffords Law Center.
The bills would also codify rules that were recently adopted by the Capitol Commission into law to keep firearms out of the State Capitol.
"These bills would ensure protection for all legislators' staff as well as the thousands of visitors, mostly children, who come from all over the state to enjoy our Capitol," said State Sen. Dayna Polehanki, (D).
"Until recently hundreds of legislators and citizens have carried in the Capitol without incident," said Nick Buggia of the NRA. "We think that should be able to continue."
The legislation still needs to make its way through the legislature and would need to be signed into law by the governor.
The Source
Information for this report is from a state lawmaker hearing held in Lansing and an interview with Spencer Myers.
