This from Michigan Coalition of Responsible Gun Owners (MCRGO) www.MCRGO.org
Legal gun owners in Michigan seemingly had the luck of the Irish last week. A result of months of hard work by MCRGO and its allies, five packages of firearms legislation passed the House of Representatives. Here’s a recap:
SHORT BARREL RIFLES AND SHORT BARREL SHOTGUNS
Senate Bill 610: Legislation which will legalize short barrel rifles and short barrel shotguns neared the end of its legislative journey with passage in the House. The bill now goes back to the Senate for the formality of concurrence with House changes before heading to the governor. Snyder has said he will sign the bill. It will have immediate effect upon his signature. The bill passed on a vote of 103-6. This bill is one of MCRGO’s four priorities for this legislative session.
PRIVACY PROTECTIONS
House Bill 4155 & 5324-5328: These bills would exempt information on licenses issued to individuals to purchase, carry, possess, or transport pistols from disclosure from Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Michigan Supreme Court, in a 1999 opinion, held that disclosing gun records of private citizens through FOIA would be an “unwarranted invasion of privacy,” but the case law is not currently codified by state law. The bills passed the House with every Republican legislator and half the Democratic Caucus voting for them. They now head to the Senate for consideration. These bills are also one of MCRGO’s four priorities for this legislative session.
YOUTH PISTOL TRAINING
House Bill 5085: This bill would revise the law that requires minors shooting a pistol to do so only under the supervision of a parent or guardian, so as to allow this supervision to be provided by an adult age 21 or older who has successfully completed a pistol safety training course that meets the requirements of the state’s concealed pistol law. Only two legislators voted in opposition to the bill.
BRANDISHING CODIFICATION
House Bill 5091 & 5092: This package of two bills would establish that carrying a firearm which is holstered or carried on a sling is not considered illegal “brandishing,” which means to display or wave a firearm in a menacing or threatening manner. The bills would also define “brandish” as “to point, wave about, or display in a threatening manner with the intent to induce fear in another person .” Under current law “brandishing” a firearm is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail. These bills create statutory law out of an existing Attorney General’s opinion. They now head to the Senate for consideration. The bills passed overwhelmingly.
ILLINOIS RECIPROCITY
House Resolution 199: This resolution by the Michigan House calls on the state of Illinois to recognize Michigan concealed pistol license holders as being automatically legal to carry concealed handguns in the state of Illinois. Under current Illinois law, Michigan CPL holders must purchase an expensive non-resident permit to carry in Illinois. The resolution passed with a majority voice vote of support.
CPL REFORM & ELIMINATION OF PISTOL FREE ZONES
MCRGO’s other two legislative priorities for this legislative session are the elimination of county gun boards/reform of the concealed pistol licensing process and the elimination of pistol free zones. Senate Bills 789 & 790 which would achieve CPL reform will be up for a second hearing and vote in Senate Judiciary Committee very soon -possibly as soon as this week.
