Knife Rights’ Michigan Knife Law Preemption bill, HB 5286, the “Michigan Knife Rights Act,” was passed by the House with a bipartisan vote of 71-36. It will now move to the Senate.
Thanks to all who used Knife Rights’ Legislative Action Center to email their legislators. We will let you know when it is time to again contact legislators on this bill.
Sponsor Rep. Steven Johnson said, “One of the things my constituents sent me to Lansing to do is to clear up confusion in government. This common-sense change will ensure that law-abiding individuals carrying knives for work and recreation only need to know the state law, instead of the ordinances of multiple jurisdictions they travel through.”
Knife Rights is proud to work with Rep. Johnson on this important legislation. We believe that the citizens of Michigan, and all states for that matter, have a right to expect that the law regarding knives is consistent and consistently applied by law enforcement no matter where you are in the state. We are proud to partner with organizations like the ACLU to support this criminal justice reform legislation.
Preemption prevents enforcement of existing local knife ordinances, and prohibits new ordinances, more restrictive than state law which only serve to confuse or entrap law-abiding citizens traveling within or through the state.
In 2017 Knife Rights’ Michigan Switchblade Ban Repeal bill was enacted. HB 5286 would ensure that automatic knives are legal throughout Michigan.
Knife Rights passed the nation’s first Knife Law Preemption bill in Arizona in 2010 and has since passed preemption bills in Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah. and Wisconsin.
