EAST LANSING, Mich. — Thursday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed gun violence prevention bills into law in East Lansing.
The new legislation requires universal background checks and safe storage and comes after two mass shootings happened within 15 months of each other.
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The first was at Oxford High Schoolon November 20, 2021, which took the lives of four students and injured 7 others there, then most recently at Michigan State University on February 13 where 3 students died and 5 more were injured.
Whitmer was joined by Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist II, State Senator Rosemary Bayer, State Representative Ranjeev Puri, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Rick Fuller, MSU Student Body President, Jo Kovach, as well as advocates for gun violence legislation.
The bill passed the Michigan Senate in March, followed closely by a bill introduced by Michigan Representative Elissa Slotkin and Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey on the federal level which would fund CDC research into understanding and addressing gun violence across the country.
Michigan GOP members have overtly opposed gun legislation, while groups of gun owners have begun advocating for it.
“Today, we are turning our pain into purpose and honoring those we have lost with commonsense gun violence prevention legislation supported by a majority of Michiganders,” said Governor Whitmer. “Universal background checks and safe storage are long-overdue steps we are proud to take today that will save lives by keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and domestic abusers and children in the home. I want to thank my partners in the legislature for getting this done, the advocates who fought so hard to make this happen, and every Michigander impacted by gun violence who shared their stories. We will keep working together to prevent mass shootings, reduce gun violence, and save lives.”
“Every gun death is preventable, yet so many Michiganders, including me, have lost people they love to the senseless tragedy of gun violence,” said Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “Today, we are taking action on commonsense reforms supported by a majority of Michiganders. Universal background checks and safe storage laws will save lives and help keep families and kids safe at home, in the streets, at school, and at work. These bills build on our ongoing investments in public safety and Operation Safe Neighborhoods to create safer communities where everyone can thrive. Governor Whitmer and I are committed to building on this progress and working with anyone to prevent gun violence.”
These are just some of several bills introduced or signed into law regarding gun ownership, use, and violence in the U.S. on both sides of the issue this year including Florida, Oregon, Washington, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
