MI Republicans Block Renewed Push By Democrats For Gun Safety Laws

MICHIGAN — State House Republicans blocked a renewed gun safety package pushed Wednesday by state Democrats, a day after a gunman opened fire at a Texas Elementary School, killing 19 children and two teachers.

The package would introduce a slew of new gun safety laws, including universal background checks on all gun sales; allowing local governments to ban guns on property they own or lease; and, in some cases, prohibiting the sale or possession of a magazine capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition.

The set of bills would also introduce a safe-storage requirement, meaning gun owners would have to keep the weapons in a locked box by storing them in a secure location or with a locking device.

If a minor were to get a hold of the weapon and use it in a threatening manner, the gun owner could be guilty of a crime and charged with a misdemeanor for failing to properly store the weapon.

Rep. Mari Manoogian (D-Birmingham) also tried to tie the package to a bill on critical-incident mapping in school safety response plans. "We absolutely need to do the bare minimum today to keep firearms out of the hands of young people," she said. However, Republicans rejected that proposal as well.

Sen. Ken Horn (R-Frankenmuth) said on the Senate floor it’s too soon to vote on any kind of gun safety laws.

"We can have the conversations, have an honest conversation over what needs to be done with these bills whatsoever," Horn said. "But these families are grieving. They are still at a point where the weight is so heavy on their chest that they can’t breathe."

In the end, the Senate voted 22-14 along party lines to send the package back to the Government Operations Committee, where Democrats said "bills go to die."

"Rather than hear Michigan Senate Democratic voices calling for action on gun violence, today the GOP ended session without allowing senators their right to deliver statements," Senate Democratic Leader Jim Ananich said on Twitter. "If they want to be silent about children dying at school, that’s their choice. But they will not win at silencing us."