LANSING – Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) is introducing a resolution today that calls for a ban on guns in the Michigan State Capitol Building except by law enforcement. The resolution comes on the heels of the Michigan Capitol Commission failing to implement a ban during its meeting on Monday, and after the state recently made international news for armed protesters intimidating legislations by bringing assault rifles into the building and on the premises.
“Intimidating legislators, staff, and visitors with guns during session is an affront to the democratic process,” Sen. Polehanki said. “If the Michigan Capitol Commission is going to squander its opportunity to keep this historical building a safe and inviting place for people of all ages, I am more than happy to continue the call for prohibiting firearms from the Capitol.”
On Monday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel made it clear in her opinion that the Capitol Commission has the authority to restrict guns from the Capitol. This aligns with an opinion delivered by Justice Antonin Scalia in 2008, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller that the court also respected ‘laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings.’
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