Michigan: Important Firearm Preemption Legislation Will Likely Receive Committee Vote Next Week

Next Wednesday, May 4, the House Local Government Committee is tentatively scheduled to consider and vote on House Bill 4795, as substituted.  HB 4795, sponsored by Chairman Lee Chatfield (R-District 107), is important legislation aimed at protecting law-abiding gun owners from unlawful constraints on their Right to Keep and Bear Arms imposed by insubordinate local units of government.  It is absolutely imperative that you click the “Take Action” button below to contact members of the House Local Government Committee today and respectfully urge them to support HB 4795!

In 1990, the Michigan Legislature passed Public Act 319, a bill that prohibits a local unit of government from enacting or enforcing any ordinance or regulation pertaining to, or regulating in any other manner, the ownership, registration, purchase, sale, transfer, transportation, or possession of pistols or other firearms.  The purpose of the legislation was two-fold: (1) create consistency in firearm regulation throughout the state to ensure that otherwise law-abiding gun owners were not subject to prosecution for unknowingly violating firearm laws that could vary widely between cities, townships, and counties; and (2) to ensure that firearm regulations were fully contemplated and vetted prior to enactment (e.g. not subject to the often whimsical and capricious nature of local reforms).

While Public Act 319 of 1990 was largely successful in accomplishing the intended goal, certain obstinate local units of government and local politicians in Michigan continue to egregiously violate Michigan law through the enactment of unlawful regulations and ordinances intended to target, intimidate, and sometimes unlawfully detain law-abiding gun owners.  This conduct, which only impacts responsible gun owners while doing nothing to address violent crime, cannot continue.

If the government can seek recourse when its citizens break the law (i.e. tickets, fines and imprisonment), then it is only right that the citizens be allowed to seek recourse when a local unit of government breaks the law.  House Bill 4795 is simply intended to deter insubordinate local units of government and local politicians from knowingly breaking the law.  Your fundamental and constitutional rights deserve such protection.

Over the last few months, Bloomberg-funded gun-control groups have spent money and expended resources in Lansing spreading misinformation and outright lies about HB 4795.  It is time for law-abiding gun owners to make their collective voices heard.

Once again, please click the “Take Action” button above to contact members of the House Local Government Committee and urge them to support HB 4795!