Bay City, Michigan 48706
Front Page 03/28/2024 16:53 About us
Home Sports Community Arts/Theater Business Schools Economy - Local
Downtown The Scene History Health/Fitness KA$H FOR KARAOKE Groups & Non-Profits
Issue 1465 April 22, 2012
(Prior Story)   Opinion ArTicle 009665   (Next Story)

LANSING SHOOTOUT: Gov. Snyder Says Green's Gun Bills Need to Wait in Line

Clergy Group Praying New Gun Laws Are Dropped; Court Challenge Seen

February 1, 2015       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

Printer Friendly Story View

"We're going to fill the heavens, the atmosphere with prayers," said Flint pastor Ken Boykins.
 

Michigan's governor has a point.

The Legislature that is spending its time hashing out unnecessary gun legislation rehashed by Sen. Mike Green, Mayville Republican, should be focusing on the important stuff -- like getting roads fixed without a tax increase.

Green's bills "being fast-tracked through the Legislature" would do away with Michigan's time-honored sheriff's gun boards, a move State Police say would cost an additional $8.4 million for 58 new state employees per year to check out the applicants.

Plus, according to some critics, the bill is unconstitutional in that it gives immunity to both State Police and county clerks, leaving local taxpayers of the governmental unit issuing the license apparently liable in potential lawsuits stemming from wrongful gun use.

The main thrust of Green's National Rifle Association-backed legislation is to eliminate the gun boards in each county, made up of prosecutors and law enforcement leaders, reported The Detroit News which erroneously said State Police "endorsed" the legislation.

Michigan Public Radio reported Governor Rick Snyder just doesn't think guns in general have a big part in his plan to "reinvent Michigan." He says lawmakers in Lansing should let the debate over gun control run its course at the federal level first.

"In the meantime we could get a lot done on jobs, infrastructure, education; a lot of important topics. So I would prefer we stay on those topics," Snyder said.

Snyder says he would consider improvements to the state's mental health system before focusing on changes to its gun laws.

Sen. Green already has been forced by a threatened Snyder veto to backtrack on his provisions in the proposal to allow people to carry concealed weapons even though they have PPOs (personal protection orders) on them.

A Senate Fiscal Agency analysis of the bill states: "The most significant fiscal impact on the MSP under the bill would result from the requirement that it assume the responsibility to investigate the background of each concealed weapon license applicant, a duty currently performed by the 249 members of county concealed weapon licensing boards throughout the State. The MSP suggests that this would require the dedication of a least one full-time investigative employee from each post--and in some areas, up to three--solely to conducting background investigations under the handgun licensure law. Overall, the MSP estimates that, with an average of two employees per 29 existing State Police posts at a cost of $143,843 per employee, the Department would require 58.0 FTEs at a total cost of $8.4 million annually to fulfill the requirement to check the background of CPL applicants. The annual number of applicants is estimated to be 90,000, but the number rose to 136,767 in 2013."

You can read the bill at: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2013-2014/billintroduced/Senate/pdf/2014-SIB-0789.pdf

Meanwhile, another radio report is that a Michigan clergy group wants state lawmakers to drop a number of pro-gun bills.

Faith leaders held a prayer service recently at the state Capitol to protest the measures. Clergy members sang hymns as they marched to the Capitol. Each held a yellow card with the name of a child from their community killed by gun violence.

"We're going to fill the heavens, the atmosphere with prayers," said Flint pastor Ken Boykins. "We mean business. We're not going to back off. And something has to be done."

Last week a state senate committee sent three gun related bills to the senate floor. The first would prohibit federal regulation of firearms and ammunition manufactured in Michigan, the second would exempt certain information about gun owners and their weapons from Freedom of Information requests and the third bill would make state laws regarding gun dealers consistent with federal regulations.

Although Susan Demas of the Michigan Information and Research Service (MIRS) is unsure as to how the bills, which supersede federal regulations would work, she does expect court proceedings against them if Governor Snyder signs these controversial bills.

"I'm sure we would see a court challenge if Governor Snyder were to receive these bills and sign them. The Senate today did pass the 'low-hanging fruit bill,' the one which seeks to alter language a little bit to keep us in line with the Fed. That's pretty uncontroversial. But this 'Firearms Freedom Act' as it's being called, that's very controversial," Demas said.

In what may be a preview of coming distractions, so to speak, in early January at Grand Rapids City Hall several people had pistols holstered at their hips for a commission meeting.

They're part of Michigan Open Carry, a group that's pressuring commissioners to change a local law that bans loaded firearms in City Hall, or any public place in Grand Rapids.

Mayor George Heartwell says he has a "very healthy respect for guns" but he doesn't think they belong at city hall.

###

Printer Friendly Story View
Prior Article

February 10, 2020
by: Rachel Reh
Family Winter Fun Fest is BACC Hot Spot for 2/10/2020
Next Article

February 2, 2020
by: Kathy Rupert-Mathews
MOVIE REVIEW: "Just Mercy" ... You Will Shed Tears, or at Least You Should
Agree? or Disagree?


Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

More from Dave Rogers

Send This Story to a Friend!       Letter to the editor       Link to this Story
Printer-Friendly Story View


--- Advertisments ---
     


0200 Nd: 03-24-2024 d 4 cpr 1






12/31/2020 P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm

SPONSORED LINKS



12/31/2020 drop ads P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm


Designed at OJ Advertising, Inc. (V3) (v3) Software by Mid-Michigan Computer Consultants
Bay City, Michigan USA
All Photographs and Content Copyright © 1998 - 2024 by OJA/MMCC. They may be used by permission only.
P3V3-0200 (1) 0   ID:Default   UserID:Default   Type:reader   R:x   PubID:mbC   NewspaperID:1465
  pid:1560   pd:11-18-2012   nd:2024-03-24   ax:2024-03-28   Site:5   ArticleID:009665   MaxA: 999999   MaxAA: 999999
claudebot