The topic of gun control is once again on the menu for the Democratic leadership and legislators of Michigan just a single week in the wake of their historic victories that took place during the state’s midterm elections this past week.
Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic Governor of Michigan, explained to local news outlet Bridge Michigan via an inter that the topic of gun control is a lead priority as she makes her way into her second term, especially so with the new Democratic majorities seen in both chambers of the legislature of the state. Democrats within the state previously put forth a series of “red flag” laws to go along with their other gun control regulations, and Whitmer thinks that such measures are well within the power of these legislators to put in place.
“I think that these are each individually proven policy solutions that could mitigate the likelihood of a future shooting, and so I think that’s where we need to start,” stated Whitmer.
The governor highlighted the recent tragic school shooting that happened in Oxford, Michigan as a prime reason to quickly push forth with gun control measures. A group of four students from Oxford High School was murdered by a classmate that chose to open fire on the school back on the 30th of November, 2021.
“I do believe that you will all of a sudden see a very different environment in Lansing where the Oxford families and advocates will have the ability to make their voices heard and to inform and drive the policy change that this current legislature has completely shut the door to,” she stated.
The most worrying of these bits of legislation for the state’s conservatives is Senate Bill No. 856, or the red flag law, which would issue the power to a judge to fully authorize the confiscation of all guns from anyone they think to be a risk ro themselves or others. The bill seeks to “provide for the issuance of restraining orders prohibiting certain individuals from possessing or purchasing firearms and ordering the surrender and seizure of a restrained individual’s firearms.”
To go along with this worrying red flag law, Whitmer is trying to forcibly stop people from acquiring new guns via a private seller without the need for a background check and is seeking to force any and all gun owners that have children in the home to lock down all firearms within lockboxes.
Incoming state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt expressed to one local outlet, Bridge News, that “it’s unfortunate that Democrats are trying to look for ways to limit individuals’ liberty and freedom.”
“Any (areas) where they’re going to limit individual freedom, I’m going to fight against,” he concluded. “If there’s going to be ways they expand individual freedom, I’ll partner with them.”
