A group of Michigan House Republicans has unveiled a package of five bills aimed at making the Great Lakes State the 30th state in the nation with a so-called “Constitutional Carry” law, eliminating the need for a concealed pistol license.
The package includes House Bills 5653, 5654, 5655, 5656, and 5657, and the effort faces stiff opposition.
WWMT News is quoting Rep. Jay DeBoyer, one of the sponsors, noting, “For the government of the state of Michigan to tell that that we have to be qualified under the guise of their rules in order to protect ourselves is a far cry from what the constitution provides for us.”
“Over the past few decades,” Rep Joe Fox explained during a press conference, “there has been a sharp increase in the number of CPL applications across our nation. Clearly, government overreach is encouraging Americans to secure their Second Amendment right to carry a firearm and to utilize that firearm, especially for self-defense…Constitutional carry states tend to experience a reduction in violent crime following the enactment of these constitutional carry laws.”
Another member of the group, speaking at a press briefing Tuesday, was Rep. Jim DeSana, who observed, “When we exercise other First Amendment rights like our right to speak, we do not have to get a permit or permission from the government to speak. When we exercise our right to worship, we do not have to go get a permit or permission to go worship.
“The right to self-defense and the right to bear arms is the ultimate right in America, “ DeSana added. “It protects your life.”
Twenty-eight Republicans are backing this bill package, and they acknowledge they have a tough fight ahead with a Democrat governor in Lansing.
Gun control advocates, however, are not so keen on the legislation. Jonathan Gold, president of the Michigan chapter of the Giffords Gun Owners for Safety group, part of the Giffords gun prohibition lobbying organization, argued to WWMT that permitless carry would make people less safe.
Gold, described as a firearms instructor, supports the permit system as is, with instruction on state laws and gun safety.
But Republican Rep. DeBoyer countered, “For the government of the state of Michigan to tell that that we have to be qualified under the guise of their rules in order to protect ourselves is a far cry from what the constitution provides for us.”
As in other states where Constitutional Carry laws have already been passed, Michigan would still retain its CPL structure to provide the means for Michigan residents to carry in other states with reciprocity agreements. Currently, more than 845,000 Michiganders are licensed to carry, according to the Michigan State Police.
The introduction of this legislation package comes on the heels of a political flap created by the anti-gun mayor of Grand Rapids. Late last month, Mayor David LaGrand declared during a community forum, “I think as a community we have to start having some shaming around gun possession. I think if you’ve got a gun, you should be ashamed of yourself. I really do.”
His remarks, captured on video, sped across social media, forcing LaGrand to issue a “clarification” two days later in which he attempted to justify his animosity towards gun owners and the Second Amendment. He said experience as a former prosecutor, seeing the aftermath of violent crime involving firearms, shaped his “personal frustration.”
LaGrand’s comments were met with disdain from gun owners and Second Amendment advocates. In a blistering rebuttal, the National Rifle Association stated, “Gun owners and many of LeGrand’s fellow Michiganders, on the other hand, are rightfully incensed at the mayor’s dismissive, ignorant, scolding attitude toward their rights, their culture, and their choices.”
State Rep. Fox told WJBK News, “This and many other bills that we are doing in the House, I would call them practice for the future. We are about making a statement that there is a right way to do things and a wrong way to do things, and we would like to keep putting forth what we see as the right way. And this aligns with the Constitution.”
Currently, there is an ongoing effort to also pass Constitutional Carry in North Carolina, where the governor is also a Democrat, Josh Stein.
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About Dave Workman
Dave Workman is a senior editor at TheGunMag.com and Liberty Park Press, author of multiple books on the Right to Keep & Bear Arms, and formerly an NRA-certified firearms instructor.
