Michigan Seeks to Become Next Constitutional Carry State
Michigan is considering easing restrictions on gun ownership through several proposed bills currently in the House. Among the bills filed is one that would make the state the 17th constitutional carry state in the US.
House Bill 4770 seeks to ease restrictions on carrying or storing concealed weapons by scrapping the mandatory CPL license requirements for gun owners. Firearm owners will still have the option of taking the CPL license but the law will not require it. Under current Michigan law, the license is only required if the person carrying wishes to conceal their weapon. Michigan is one of 32 states that does not require a license to open carry.
House Bill 4471 seeks to ease restrictions on concealed carry in gun-free zones such as hospitals, schools, and daycares. The bill, however, will retain the ability for private business owners to decide on whether to allow concealed carry within their premises.
Michigan does require a CPL for private sales, something that Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick seems to want to enact here. Neither bill does away with or alters that requirement.
State Rep. Steven Johnson, one of the proponents of the bills, said that scrapping licensing requirements would ease the financial burden on legal gun owners. He said that the bill was about protecting Michigan residents. Johnson said that licensing requirements turn law-abiding citizens into criminals just for lacking a “special card”.
Steve Dulan, who sits in the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners board, said that allowing guns in gun-free zones would level the playing field between legal gun owners and criminals who disregard such bans. “The current law, only affects law-abiding citizens who are deprived the right to self-defense,” he said.
The bills are currently under the House Military, Veterans and Homeland Security Committee.
Michigan has witnessed various other bills seeking to ease restrictions on firearms. Earlier this year, Gary Eisen had introduced House Bill 4200 and 4201 that sought to reduce the punishment for an infraction. The bills are currently in the Committee on Judiciary.
Current Michigan law penalizes carrying into a gun-free zone as follows:
First offense - Up to a 6-month suspension of their CPL and/or a $500 fine
Second offense - Revocation of their CPL and/or a $1,000 fine
Third offense - Felony offense punishable by up to 4 years in prison or a $5,000 fine
If House Bill 4200 becomes law, the penalty would be reduced to merely a $100 fine, and no increase in punishment for subsequent offenses. House Bill 4201 complements 4200 by removing the third offense from the list of felonies compiled in Chapter 28 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.
Michigan is poised to move ahead of Texas as it comes to gun rights. While they are driving to advance gun rights, it seems our senior elected Republican representatives want to drive Texas backwards. We have a reputation here that sadly we do not live up to. We are currently ranked 29th in the nation for gun rights, and it is imperative that we change this.
Join LSGR today and help our fight against these tyrants who want to drive Texas backwards. Sign our petition against gun control so we can dump them on Greg Abbott's and Dan Patrick's desks so they know we will not tolerate the status quo! We are a free people endowed by our Creator with the natural right to keep and bear arms! It is not a privilege that government has granted us contingent upon good behavior, or any other requirement. Together, we will make Texas pro-gun again!
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