Bills have strong public support, backing from MSU, Oxford and other shooting victims and families, gun safety advocates, responsible gun owners, and law enforcement officials
LANSING, Mich. (March 10, 2023) — Yesterday, the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety Committee passed Senate Bill 80, sponsored by Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City), to create child access protection laws to keep legal firearms securely stored and out of the hands of children and teens. Sen. McDonald Rivet’s bill is part of the Senate Democrats’ broader 11-bill gun violence prevention package that was passed by the committee yesterday.
“Grieving students have had enough. Michiganders have had enough. They know it’s unacceptable for gun violence to kill more of our children than cancer or car accidents,” said Sen. McDonald Rivet.
“That’s why Democrats, Republicans, and gun owners overwhelmingly support what we’re doing. They understand these bills respect responsible gun ownership. They understand this legislation will work alongside personal responsibility, enforcement, and mental health initiatives.”
The gun violence prevention bills were introduced by Senate Democrats to encourage gun safety and help prevent acts of violence like the shootings at Michigan State University on Feb. 13, and Oxford High School on Nov. 30, 2021. In addition to child access protection laws, the legislation establishes universal background checks to close the private sale loophole. The bills also will allow a court to issue an “Extreme Risk Protection Order” (ERPO) to take temporary possession of a firearm if the court finds that an individual is at risk of harming themselves or others.
Over the past two weeks, the committee heard supportive testimony on the legislative package from a number of gun violence victims and family members, including students and parents from Michigan State University, as well as advocacy groups. Attorney General Dana Nessel, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald, several other county prosecutors, and Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson all spoke in support of the bills.
“When hundreds of thousands of unsecured guns are stolen each year, we’ve got a problem. When so many of those guns find their way to people whose dangerous histories prohibit them from owning a firearm legally, we’ve got an even bigger problem. This is just one reason why we need strong sentencing and safe storage laws to complement background checks,” said Sen. McDonald Rivet.
A new Glengariff poll released last week found that 87.8 percent of Michigan respondents support passage of a law requiring any person purchasing any type of gun from anyone else to go through a background check. Red flag (ERPO) laws had 74.5 percent support in the poll, and safe storage (child access protection) had 79.8 percent support. Some of the proposals had as high as 85.5 percent support of gun owners and 77.8 percent support of Republican gun owners.
BACKGROUND:
Research has shown that safe storage practices play an important role in reducing gun violence. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends storing firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition.
According to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, between 70-90% of guns used in youth suicides, unintentional shootings among children, and school shootings perpetrated by shooters under age 18 are acquired from their home or the homes of relatives or friends. Information from Everytown for Gun Safety shows that:
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At least 5.4 million children live in a home with at least one unlocked and loaded firearm.
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These improperly stored weapons have contributed to school shootings, suicides and the deaths of family members, including infants and toddlers.
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Nearly half of all parents with a weapon in the home wrongly believe their children don’t know where a gun is stored.
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Guns used in about 68 percent of gun-related incidents at schools were taken from the home, a friend or relative.
Eight states and Washington, D.C. currently have laws requiring owners to secure their firearms. Fifteen states have child access prevention laws that generally make gun owners liable if they fail to secure a gun that is accessed by a minor.
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