Proposed Michigan laws banning ghost guns, bump stocks advance
Michigan State Senate passes gun safety bill package, which heads to House
There was no bipartisanship on the so-called gun safety package as 19 Democrats said yes and 17 Republicans said no.
LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Proposed laws that would ban bump stocks and ghost guns advanced Wednesday in the Michigan Senate.
A bill to codify rules prohibiting guns at Michigan's Capitol also moved forward.
What are bump stocks and ghost guns?
Bump stocks replace the traditional stock of a semi-automatic rifle, allowing the weapon to fire rapidly, almost like a machinegun. However, the United States Supreme Court ruled that firearms equipped with a bump stock do not meet the legal definition of "machinegun."
The gun accessories were banned by President Donald Trump during his first presidency after dozens of people were killed at a Las Vegas music festival in 2017. However, the Supreme Court later reversed that ban after a Texas gun store owner challenged it, noting that though bump stocks do allow a rifle to fire rapidly, they do not transform a semi-automatic firearm into an automatic one.
OREM, UT - FEBRUARY 21: A 7,62X39mm round sits next a a 30 round magazine and an AK-47 with a bump stock installed at Good Guys Gun and Range on February 21, 2018 in Orem, Utah. The bump stock is a device when installed allows a semi-automatic to fir
If passed into law, Michigan would become the 18th state to prohibit bump stocks.
Ghost guns are homemade firearms that do not have serial numbers, making them untraceable. These weapons are made by using multiple pieces that can be purchased online.
What they're saying:
The ghost gun bill passed along party lines, with Democrats backing it and Republicans voting against it. The bump stock ban had a bit of support from the GOP side.
Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia), who sponsored the bills banning bump stock and ghost guns, called bump stocks "tools of mass violence."
"Whether they shoot for sport or self-defense, civilians have no need for a device that allows them to shoot hundreds of bullets in a matter of minutes," she said in a press release after the Senate voted to move the bills forward. "Bump stocks are designed for one purpose only — to inflict maximum carnage in the shortest amount of time. By prohibiting this deadly device, we’re sending a clear message: Michigan will not stand by while tools of mass violence threaten our communities and our sense of safety."
Regarding ghost guns, bill sponsor Sen. Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) said that laws need to be updated because the way weapons are produced has changed.
"Ghost guns are deliberately designed to evade accountability — no background checks, no serial numbers, and no way to trace them once they’re used in a crime," she said. "As we see law enforcement officers recovering these untraceable firearms at an alarming rate, Michigan can’t afford to wait. Just as rapidly as new weapon production methods emerge and evolve, so too must our laws and public safety efforts. Our communities deserve nothing less."
Though the bills had enough backing to move forward, others believe they would not be effective, saying that it punishes responsible gun owners.
"They ultimately punish responsible gun owners rather than address the root causes of gun violence," Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake) said while speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday. "This legislation does nothing to stop the black market firearm sales, reduce crime, or enhance public safety. Instead, it burdens law-abiding citizens with excessive regulation and fuels fear over the erosion of their Second Amendment rights."
Runestad went on to say that more than 1 million firearms would be illegal if the bills became law.
What's next:
The bills still have to make it past the Republican-controlled House to become law.
They were referred to the House Government Operations Committee.
The Source: A Senate hearing, press release from Sen. Dayna Polehanki, and previous reporting were used to write this story.