Michigan Democrats are looking into passing new gun legislation following the mass shooting on Michigan State University’s campus that killed three people.
Democrats said that they have an opportunity to pass gun safety legislation after years of stalemate with Republicans. They have provided general outlines of proposed bills but have yet to flesh out the details.
The new legislation will likely test Michigan‘s Democratic “trifecta.” Democrats gained control of both senate houses, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer cruised to victory during the 2020 midterm elections. Democrats have not controlled all three houses of Michigan’s government in decades.
Democrats have been looking to pass the legislation since they won all three chambers of government. During her State of the State address last month, Whitmer said she wanted to enact background checks on gun purchasers.
“We are hearing the calls; we’ve been hearing the calls. And we have been trying to address this for years,” said Democratic State Sen. Rosemary Bayer, who is part of the Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention Caucus.
Democrats introduced gun safety legislation in 2022, but the legislation failed under the Republican-held Senate. Bayer said the new Democratic majority is an “opportunity” to push through new laws.
“As we propose this legislation, it isn’t just about what happened last night,” she said. “Whether it’s mass shootings, homicides or suicide, we know that there is not one bill or one policy that can make all of that go away overnight.”
