MICHIGAN - CPL matters

[Gunner Gatlin, SASS 10274L]

From MCRGO:

 

House Action Imminent on Senate Bills 584-586

 

Senate Bills 584 & 585, which would allow any CPL holder to obtain a general exemption to concealed pistol free zones, and Senate Bill 586, which would clarify that public schools, intermediate school districts, community colleges, public libraries, and other public authorities are local units of government, are expected to be taken up by the Michigan House of Representatives sooner rather than later -as early as next week!

 

While MCRGO, the NRA, and other firearms law reform activists nearly uniformly support these bills, there are several changes we would like to see in the House to Senate Bill 584. The last minute Senate addition of airport property to the list of pistol free zones should be removed. It appears to have been added to prevent future situations where Open Carry activists have carried on airport property, but it misses the mark by applying only to concealed pistols. We would also like to see the Senate's ban on intentional display and open carry removed from the bill as the language could be used to prosecute CPL holders who are printing or inadvertently showing a firearm.

 

Please contact your state representative now to let them know you support Senate Bills 584-586 with the changes noted above. You can find him/her HERE. Some key points:

 

* 98% of mass shootings occur in pistol free zones because they are target rich locations.

 

* Pistol free zones don't prevent people with criminal intent from carrying a gun there.

 

* The are numerous examples of situations where CPL holders have stopped shootings or prevented them altogether. It happens far more often than many people realize because they aren't reported like unchallenged mass shootings with high body counts.

 

* No Michigan CPL holder has ever been mistakenly shot by another Michigan CPL holder or law enforcement in the 17 years Michigan has had shall-issue concealed carry. Michigan has over 600,000 CPL holders who carry daily in busy public settings. 

 

* Michigan CPL holders with a general exemption would be the best trained in the USA!

 

* The legislation does not negatively impact private property rights.

[Outrider Outlaw]

I wrote my congressman this morning and received the following in reply:

 

Good morning,

 

Thank you for contacting me regarding these Senate bills which passed out of the Senate a few weeks ago. The bills were referred to the House Judiciary Committee. You can read the legislation at this link by typing “584” in the bill field.

www.legislature.mi.gov 

 

There are no plans at this time to take up these bills in House Judiciary committee prior to the end of this year. I will be having conversations with members of the committee in the meantime.

 

Currently, a person who has a concealed carry license is allowed to carry openly in certain gun free zones. Proponents of this legislation believe that it is safer to have concealed carry with higher training requirements in gun free zones, especially in the event of an emergency.

 

Thank you again for contacting me and don’t hesitate to update me on this or any other issue pertaining to state government.

 

Best Regards,

 

I should point out that this is from my congressman who is the chair of the house judiciary committee.  BUT, just because it won't be coming up until after the first of the year doesn't mean we shouldn't contact our representative to let him/her know our position.