On Thursday, April 13, the Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, signed two bills into law that will help ensure more gun safety. The first bill stated that anyone who does not have a gun license will need to have a federal national instant criminal background check before attaining a gun. Previous law in Michigan only required background checks for pistol purchases, not long guns or shot guns. The second law requires for the safe storage of firearms and ammunition in homes. Gun owners who have minors living in their home are now required to store the firearm in a locked bock or lock the firearm with a locking device that can only be opened by the owner of the gun or an authorized user. In addition, violating these laws can lead to up to 93 days in prison, a fine up to $500, or both. These two laws come shortly after a fatal shooting occurred at Michigan State University in February, where a man shot eight students, killing three.
I think these new gun laws in Michigan are a great step toward eliminating the risk of gun violence. The universal background checks will keep firearms out of the arms of dangerous individuals, like domestic abusers and those on terrorism watch lists. The law on keeping one’s firearm locked up will prevent children from be able to access such a deadly weapon, especially after the school in Virginia saw a 6-year-old posses and shoot a gun at his teacher. Personally, I would even increase the punishment if someone does not abide by these laws, such as increasing the fine to $1000. With such a demand for safer gun laws, violating them should have large consequences. All in all, I am happy to finally see action being made in the push for gun safety. This should influence other states to do the same.