This week, the Michigan Senate passed legislation that supporters say will help keep Michigan residents safe from gun violence. Most of the package passed on a party-line vote.
The legislation includes:
Prohibit Bump Stocks:
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- Bump stocks are a device that allows a user to essentially 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.
- Currently, 17 other states have laws to prohibit the possession of bump stocks and other multiburst trigger activators.
Serialize Ghost Guns:
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- The package would prohibit the purchase, possession, and distribution of firearms without valid serial numbers, also known as “ghost guns.”
- Ghost guns often come in kits or can be assembled from 3-D printed parts, often in less than an hour.
- 15 states have adopted policies to address this public safety issue, and in March of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of such regulations in a 7-2 ruling.
Prohibit Firearms in the State Capitol Building:
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- 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.
- It also seeks to ensure this applies to the Anderson House Office Building and the Binsfeld Senate Office Building.
- Currently, 26 other states across the country have similar measures.
The legislation was referred to the House Government Operations Committee for consideration.