Time to Defuse Michigan Fireworks Law?

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Four years after they legalized consumer fireworks, Michigan lawmakers are under growing pressure to extinguish a law that has drawn complaints from veterans, pet owners and homeowners who say they’ve had enough of the noise pollution that has gone on since the Fourth of July.

The fireworks industry, however, warns that repealing the 2011 law would eliminate jobs, empty storefronts and send fireworks enthusiasts – and their checkbooks – to neighboring states where the pyrotechnics are legal.

Pro Fireworks owner James Stajos told the Detroit Free Press he thinks repeal talk Is “a joke.” Residents put on their own displays before fireworks were legal and police looked the other way, he said.

“The majority of Michiganders are using the fireworks and enjoying them. The Legislature has to pay attention to that,” said Stajos, who also is president of the Michigan Fireworks Dealers and Safety Council.

State Rep. Henry Yanez, D-Sterling Heights, who has introduced House Bills 4725 and 4726 to repeal the Fireworks Safety Act of 2011, said in a statement in June that the law hasn’t passed the test of time.

“We’ve tried allowing residents to buy and shoot large fireworks,” he said. “But the complaints from neighbors and the damage they’ve caused, or nearly caused, in many communities has proved the 2011 law to be a bad idea.”

A former firefighter, Yanez says he’s “acutely aware of the danger of mishandled and misused fireworks pose.”

This year, a Walled Lake man died in front of his family after lighting a large firework on his head, replicating a stunt he’d seen on YouTube. Alcohol was a factor in the accident.

In St. Clair Shores, a bizarre chain reaction sent residents scrambling for cover after about $3,000 worth of fireworks stored in an open SUV were ignited. No one was injured, but a woman who fled to the safety of her home called it “the biggest fireworks fiasco” she had ever seen.

Related:

• Reportedly Mimicking Stunt, Man Dies After Putting Firework to Head
• Bizarre Chain Reaction Torches SUV, Ignites $3K in Fireworks
• Police: Residents, Suspects Lucky No One Injured in Bomb-Like Firework Explosion

Yanez’s proposals would return the power to grant fireworks permits to local municipalities. Fireworks permits would be issued to only certain events – for example, public displays by municipalities, fair associations and amusement parks – and no one under the age of 18 would be able to obtain a permit.Certain toy pistols, paper cups, sparklers, toy snakes and other small products would still be allowed.

“There’s just no good reason to have skyrockets, sky lanterns and other fireworks … going off in our neighborhoods,” he said.

Vet Hasn’t Heard Explosives So Loud Since Korean War

A pair of petitions MoveOn.org are seeking repeal of the law. One was about 400 signatures shy of the number desired, and another has more than 23,500 of 25,000 signature desired.

The law allows consumer fireworks on the day before, the day of and the day after major holidays, but on Monday, Korean War veteran Judy Sobczyk, of Lincoln Park, wrote on the petition site that jarring fireworks were still going on there.

“I’m a Korean War vet, and I don’t believe I’ve ever heard explosives that loud while I was there,” Sobczyk wrote. “... It is now the 20th of July and some jerk is still firing bombs off in our neighborhood.”

The same thing was happening in Grosse Pointe.

“It’s more than two weeks after the Fourth of July holiday, and there are still fireworks being set off in my neighborhood,” Lynn Anslow wrote.

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David Meszaros, of Dearborn, said the law is nearly impossible for police to enforce and catch violators.

“More people are getting injured, and getting killed. When is this going to stop?,” he wrote. “It is time for ‘permanent change’ – outlaw the use of personal fireworks all together. There are hundreds of public fireworks shows every year for anyone who wants to see them. Why must we all have to endure the noise and mess?

“The use of fireworks in our neighborhoods should be something we put in the past, just as we did we Devil’s Night,” he continued, referencing the night of mayhem that previously occurred the night before Halloween. “It’s time for zero fireworks allowed in our neighborhoods.”

Robin Moten, of Royal Oak, spoke directly to the governor: “Please prioritize the safety and well being of your residents over increasing revenue Governor Snyder.”

$2.5 Million-Plus in Safety Fees, Licenses

The Michigan Fireworks Dealers and Safety Council also said repealing the law would send Michiganders to neighboring states like Ohio or Indiana to buy fireworks, and kill seasonal and full-time jobs associated with the industry.

Dennis Poisson, who manages the Tiger Fireworks store in Warren, said there’s too much revenue on the table for the state to seriously consider repealing the law. Instead, he said, authorities should crack down on fireworks use outside of the three-day legal window.

In fiscal year 2014, the state received $1.9 million in revenue from safety fees, an increase of nearly $675,000 from the year prior. The revenue is used for firefighter training.

The state also received $629,000 last fiscal year in fees for certificates to sell consumer fireworks, also an increase from fiscal year 2013.

According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, consumer fireworks revenues have climbed from $600 million in 2006 to $695 million last year. It predicted that revenues could exceed $725 million for the 2015 fireworks season.

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Photo: Blixt_A.1/Flickr