Actions coincide with Gun Violence Awareness Month, a time to honor communities shattered by gun violence and raise awareness of this growing issue
Among the common-sense gun safety measures passed were bills to:
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Prohibit bump stocks, a device that can convert semi-automatic firearms into machine guns in a matter of minutes;
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Address ghost guns, which are fully functioning, untraceable firearms and the fastest-growing gun safety problem facing our country; and
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Keep the Michigan Capitol complex safe from gun violence to ensure a secure environment for students, teachers, parents, advocates, and lawmakers.
“Two years ago, Senate Democrats used our people-powered Majority to finally address gun violence in our communities,” said Chair Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit). “We made considerable progress — strengthening background checks, establishing a Red Flag law, requiring safe storage, disarming domestic abusers, and investing in community violence intervention programs. And we’re not done, we are continuing these efforts and working to save lives and build a future free from gun violence for our children.”
This action comes just before the 11th National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 6, 2025, when communities across the nation come together to honor survivors of gun violence and build community with those working to address this pervasive issue.
Prohibiting Bump Stocks
Michigan law prohibits a person from manufacturing, selling, or possessing weapons and devices such as machine guns and silencers; however, current statute does not prohibit bump stocks — a deadly device that allows a user to convert a semi-automatic firearm into a machine gun in a matter of minutes. In recent years, bump stocks have become a popular tool among mass shooters and other criminals as they dramatically increase a gun’s rate of fire. Most notably, rifles modified with bump stocks were used in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, where a lone shooter fired over 1,000 rounds in just 11 minutes, killing nearly 60 concert goers and leaving hundreds of others critically injured.
Senate Bill 224, sponsored by Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), seeks to keep these dangerous devices out of the hands of Michigan residents by adding bump stocks to the list of weapons prohibited in the state. If signed into law, this bill would allow Michigan to join 17 other states that have adopted this policy.
“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,” said Sen. Polehanki. “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.”
Serializing Ghost Guns
Also advanced through the committee process were Senate Bills 331 and 332, sponsored by Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak). This package would prohibit the purchase, possession, and distribution of firearms without valid serial numbers, also known as “ghost guns.” Under the bills, a first offense would count as a misdemeanor and could lead to a maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine and a one-year prison sentence. Following offenses would be felonies that carry up to a five-year, $10,000 sentence.
“Ghost guns are deliberately designed to evade accountability — no background checks, no serial numbers, and no way to trace them once they’re used in a crime,” said Sen. McMorrow. “As we see law enforcement officers recovering these untraceable firearms at an alarming rate, Michigan can’t afford to wait. 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.”
Ghost guns often come in kits or can be assembled from 3-D printed parts, often in less than an hour. They currently pose the fastest-growing gun safety problem facing our country, as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimates that more than 70,700 suspected ghost guns were recovered by law enforcement between 2016 and 2022 — nearly two-thirds of which were recovered in 2021 and 2022. Throughout the nation, 15 states have adopted policies to address this public safety issue, and in March of this year, the US Supreme Court upheld the Constitutionality of such regulations 7-2.
Keeping the Michigan Capitol Safe for Visitors
Every day, hundreds of people walk through the Michigan Capitol and accompanying legislative office spaces, including students and teachers on school field trips, citizens looking to advocate on issues close to their hearts, and legislators and staffers who work diligently on behalf of Michiganders. To ensure the safety of all those who visit the Capitol complex, the committee also advanced Senate Bills 225 and 226, sponsored by Sens. Polehanki and Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield).
This legislation seeks to codify the Capitol Commission’s ruling that prohibits both the concealed and open carry of firearms in the Michigan State Capitol Building, and would also ensure that this applies to the Anderson House Office Building and the Binsfeld Senate Office Building. Currently, 26 other states across the country have similar measures in place to uphold the safety of Capitol visitors.
“I was on the Senate floor when armed men stormed the Michigan Capitol and occupied the chamber’s gallery in 2020. I saw the fear on my colleagues’ faces, and I watched as some strapped on bulletproof vests. 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,” said Sen. Bayer, former chair of the bicameral Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention Caucus. “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.”
Earlier this week, the Senate also adopted a resolution led by Sen. McMorrow to recognize June 2025 as Gun Violence Awareness Month. These actions ultimately build on significant progress championed by Michigan Democrats during the 102nd Legislature, including legislation that:
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Strengthens background checks to close the private sale loophole;
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Promotes safe storage by creating child access protection laws to keep legal firearms safely and securely stored and out of the hands of children and teens;
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Allows courts to issue Extreme Risk Protection Orders to temporarily intervene and suspend a person’s access to firearms if they show clear warning signs of violence and pose an immediate threat to themselves or others;
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Protects survivors of domestic violence by preventing those convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence crimes from possessing, using, purchasing, or carrying a firearm in Michigan for eight years; and
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Safeguards the democratic process and protects voters by prohibiting an individual from possessing a firearm at or near a polling place, an early voting site, an absentee voter ballot drop box, and other spaces where election work is occurring.