Being good Americans, we take the position that anyone who is arrested and charged with multiple crimes is innocent until proven guilty. That’s more than California state senator Leland Yee (D) has done for gun owners in the past. In August 2012, Yee said “no one will convince me it’s anything other than a joke to say that having multiple clips and semi-automatic weapons that can shoot 100 or more bullets at a time is necessary in this state or in this country, it’s ridiculous.”

Now, Yee has other things with which to concern himself, and none is a joking matter.

The San Jose Mercury-News reports that “Yee now is accused of consorting with notorious felons, accepting money for his cash-strapped political campaigns in exchange for favors and promising undercover FBI agents he could deliver connections to international gun runners.” Additionally, he “is depicted in a startling, 137-page FBI affidavit of repeatedly offering to broker illegal firearms sales in exchange for campaign contributions,” and he is “linked to a host of wrongdoing to pad his political war chest, charged with seven felonies in a case with two dozen defendants accused of everything from money laundering to murder-for-hire.”  Read more

Governor Rick Snyder (R) has signed Senate Bill 610 into law, making it Public Act 63 of 2014.  SB 610, sponsored by state Senator Michael Green (R-31), repeals Michigan’s ban on the private ownership of short-barreled rifles and shotguns.   Read more

Synopsis As Introduced
Creates the Firearms Registration Act. Provides that every person in the State must register each firearm he or she owns or possesses in accordance with the Act. Provides that a person shall not purchase or possess ammunition within this State without having first obtained a registration certificate identifying a firearm that is suitable for use with that ammunition, or a receipt demonstrating that the person has applied to register a suitable firearm under the Act and that the application is pending. Provides that the Department of State Police must complete a background check of any person who applies for: (1) a registration certificate for a firearm that was lawfully owned or possessed on the effective date of the Act, was brought into the State by a new resident, or was acquired by operation of law upon the death of the former owner; or (2) a renewal of a registration certificate unless, within 12 months of the date the renewal application is submitted, the applicant passed a background check conducted by the Department in connection with the applicant’s acquisition of another firearm. Provides exceptions. Amends the Criminal Code of 2012. Provides that it is a Class 2 felony to sell or transfer ownership of a firearm to another person without complying with the registration requirement of the Firearms Registration Act.