Current:Home > ScamsDemocrats control Michigan for the first time in 40 years. They want gun control -MacroWatch
Democrats control Michigan for the first time in 40 years. They want gun control
View
Date:2025-04-18 13:09:26
After a gunman killed three students and wounded five others on the Michigan State University campus this week, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has called on the state's lawmakers to pass tighter gun control measures.
"As parents, we tell our kids it's going to be okay. We say that all the time," Whitmer said at a press conference Tuesday. "But the truth is, words are not good enough. We must act and we will."
For the first time in 40 years, Democrats are in control of the state's legislature and the office of governor. That has Democrats hopeful of passing tighter gun laws.
The state's Republicans, however, are seeking to reach a consensus on laws focused on mental health services.
The Democrats' proposed measures include universal background checks, so-called red flag laws – court orders requiring police to seize a gun from an individual – and safe storage.
"Whether it's mass shootings, homicides or suicides, we know there is not one bill or one policy that can make all of that go away overnight," said state Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks Tuesday.
"But ... we can act to improve the lives of the people of our state and to prevent more tragedies like this from happening in the future," Brinks added.
The bulk of Michigan's voters have expressed support for tighter gun laws. A statewide poll released in December found that 90% support background checks for those purchasing a gun, and 74% approved of having courts take guns away from those considered dangerous to themselves or others.
Similar measures, including red flags and safe storage laws, have been proposed before in Michigan – including after the mass shooting at Oxford High School in 2021 – but those efforts were unsuccessful under the then-Republican-controlled legislature.
Even though Democrats have control over the state legislature now, securing additional gun laws could still be challenging. Their majorities are just one vote in the House and the Senate.
The state is also home to a thriving gun culture and Michigan's state Constitution includes the right to bear arms. Unlike the United States Constitution, Michigan's also has a self-defense provision.
But state Democrats say their Republican colleagues have had their chance on gun control in the past and they won't let this opportunity go without a fight.
veryGood! (58643)
Related
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- South Korean Olympic chief defends move to send athletes to train at military camp
- With a rising death toll, Kenya's military evacuates people from flood-hit areas
- 'Wonka' returns with more music, less menace
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- AP PHOTOS: Crowds bundle up to take snowy photos of Beijing’s imperial-era architecture
- Virginia 4th graders fall ill after eating gummy bears contaminated with fentanyl
- The Republican leading the probe of Hunter Biden has his own shell company and complicated friends
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Jonathan Majors' text messages, audio recordings to ex-girlfriend unsealed in assault trial: Reports
Ranking
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- A FedEx Christmas shipping deadline is today. Here are some other key dates to keep in mind.
- With death toll rising, Kenyan military evacuates people from flood-hit areas
- How Taylor Swift Celebrated Her Enchanting Birthday Without Travis Kelce
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Stocking Stuffers That Are So Cool & Useful You Just Have to Buy Them
- Bradley Cooper poses with daughter Lea De Seine at 'Maestro' premiere: See the photos
- Why is Draymond Green suspended indefinitely? His reckless ways pushed NBA to its breaking point
Recommendation
SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
What stores are open on Christmas 2023? See Walmart, Target, Home Depot holiday status
Amazon rift: Five things to know about the dispute between an Indigenous chief and Belgian filmmaker
Promising new gene therapies for sickle cell are out of reach in countries where they’re needed most
South Korea's acting president moves to reassure allies, calm markets after Yoon impeachment
Hugh Grant hopes his kids like 'Wonka' after being 'traumatized' by 'Paddington 2'
Maalik Murphy is in the transfer portal, so what does this mean for the Texas Longhorns?
The last residents of a coastal Mexican town destroyed by climate change