Michigan House passes bills providing more education on safe gun storage
LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — The Michigan House passed two bills on firearms that would require the state health department to develop information on safe gun storage to distribute to schools.
Michigan already has some safe storage laws, but two of the bills passed by Democrats in the Michigan Legislature this week would require the state health department to develop information on safe gun storage to distribute to schools.
"After we passed safe storage last year, a lot of people were concerned about how effective it would be if no one knew it existed, so that's the point," said state Rep. Sharon MacDonell (D-Troy). "Because safe storage only affects gun owners in homes with children, we thought it was a perfect idea to notify parents through our schools, and then we could get to everyone."
MacDonell says schools would be allowed to send parents the information provided by the state health department digitally so that they don't incur printing costs. The same would go for private schools.
Lawmakers say the bills aim to get information to the people who need it efficiently. However, one Republican lawmaker says he voted against the bill and sees it as an invasion of privacy.
"Here's the issue: this has nothing to do with schools, the bills they're making schools pay for this legislation they're using it to push a political agenda, and school districts have to pay for it, and kids are notoriously bad at bringing home information from schools," said state Rep. Joe Aragona (R-Clinton Township). "Yet if this is that important we're going to have kids bring home this information to their parents. I think it's terrible legislation."
The other bills passed by the state House include ones that would ban firearms from polling locations, drop boxes and absentee counting board locations.
Gun laws in Michigan have been a topic of discussion since new laws went into effect within the first few months of 2024. Under these laws, residents must keep unattended firearms unloaded and stored with a locking device or in a locked box if it is "reasonably known" that a minor may be present.
In Westland, the parents of a 5-year-old who accidentally shot and killed himself with an unsecured gun were charged on Tuesday with violating Michigan's safe storage law.
They are scheduled to be in court for a probable cause hearing next week.
"If they can gain access to that weapon, and they do, the best thing that can happen to you is you can be convicted of a crime; the worst thing that can happen is exactly what happened in this scenario," said Westland Deputy Chief Robert Wilkie.