Lawmakers discuss recently introduced gun safety legislation

LANSING, Mich. (WNEM) – On Wednesday, the lieutenant governor joined leaders from the State House and Senate to provide an update on where recently introduced gun legislation stands.

“This is a priority for us. It’s a priority for the Michigan legislature. It’s a priority for Gov. Whitmer and myself to make this happen,” Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist, speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives Joe Tate, and majority leader of the Michigan Senate Winnie Brinks, all joined a press call hosted by Every Town for Gun Safety and the Michigan chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action.

The groups showed their support for gun safety legislation recently introduced in the state legislature. The proposed measures call for universal background checks for people seeking to purchase a firearm. The series of bills also include extreme risk protection orders that keep firearms from a person causing a risk to themselves or others, along with mandating safe storage options to make sure firearms are not loosely available.

On Wednesday, Tate and Brinks said where the legislation in each chamber stands right now, and when the House and Senate may hold a vote.

“We want to move as quickly as possible. And we’re starting that process in the House with our committee hearings,” Tate said. “So, expect to see something soon in terms of a floor vote.”

“We will move forward with those committee hearings in short order. And we will hear testimony, and we’ll move them to the floor as expediently and quickly as possible,” Brinks said. “But again, we want to, as speaker Tate said, we want to make sure that we’re doing this right, and that these laws are well written, and that they stand up to the scrutiny of any challenges in the future.”

While Brinks is hoping Republicans will back these proposed gun measures, she said the legislature is prepared to move these bills with or without bipartisan support thanks to Democrats having control of all three chambers of state government.

“The difference now is we have majorities in both the House and Senate and we’ve got a governor who’s willing to sign this common sense legislation. So, it’s a new day here in Lansing when it comes to the progress that these bills can make,” Brinks said.

Brinks said more bills will be introduced in the future as part of a comprehensive approach, with the goal of creating an environment that keeps kids safe, instead of preparing them for inevitable disaster.

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