Michigan Moms Oppose S.B. 34, Bill That Strips Law Enforcement Authority to Deny Concealed Pistol Licenses to Dangerous People

Lansing, MI – The Michigan Senate today passed S.B. 34, a bill that would strip Michigan law enforcement of the authority to deny concealed pistol licenses to dangerous people.

Like 29 other states, Michigan currently gives law enforcement the authority to deny concealed pistol licenses to applicants who pose a danger but are not explicitly disqualified—such as a person with a recent history of multiple arrests for violent crimes, like George Zimmerman. S.B. 34 would place Michigan among the minority of states that force law enforcement to allow people who they know have recent violent histories to carry hidden, loaded guns in public. Under this bill, law enforcement would be powerless to prevent people with repeated run-ins with police, who are known to pose a threat—such as the Washington Navy Yard shooter before he shot and killed 12 people in 2013—from getting concealed pistol licenses and carrying hidden, loaded guns throughout the state.

In response to the Senate’s passage of S.B. 34, the Michigan Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America released the following statement:

“While we support efforts to make the licensing process more efficient, changes cannot come at the cost of public safety,” said Linda Brundage, a volunteer with the Michigan Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “This bill would take away important safeguards in Michigan law designed to keep guns out of dangerous hands. Law enforcement officials should continue to be able to keep dangerous people from carrying hidden, loaded guns in public. We urge our lawmakers to reject S.B. 34 and keep these important provisions in place.”