Gun safety lobby in state consider assault weapon ban but polls suggest political split

In an eleven-year period in this country there were 1,363 persons killed in mass shootings,  947 wounded and an average of 20 mass shootings per year.

About 44% of the killings were with handguns but the weapon of choice in 76% of the mass shootings were assault weapons.  The latest statewide poll from the Detroit chamber of commerce reveals that by a 55%-40% margin citizens want to ban those weapons.

There is a dramatic political split on the proposed ban

83%-15% Strong Democrats Yes
26%-67% Strong Republican No
73%-22% Non Gun Owners Yes
44%-53% Gun Owners No

In recent days Detroit Democrat and House Speaker Joe Tate reports he is open to discussing the ban, which of course is not the same as saying he would be for it.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has not endorsed it and last December she offered this.

"Obviously we've got the federal government that would make that a little more difficult in terms of the interstate commerce clause," she said.

On another front last year Oakland County Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D) talked about limiting gun magazine size to about 10 bullets.

The projected political breakdown looks like this:

60%-33% Limit Bullets
80%-14% Strong Democrats
38%-54% Strong Republicans
77%-19% Non Gun Owners Yes
48%-44% Gun Owners Yes

So far neither of these proposals has been introduced in the legislature. The gun safety lobby is likely to push for that at some point with the NRA and others set to fight that.