Lansing, Michigan – Legislators are acting to increase security and handle long-standing issues with weapons in government facilities four years after armed protestors invaded Michigan’s State Capitol. Currently under debate, Senate Bills 857 and 858 seek to restrict concealed carry within Capitol, House, and Senate buildings.
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Senator Dayna Polehanki (D-Livonia) is leading the initiative; she has been outspoken about her residual discomfort following the tense 2020 demonstration bringing armed people into the Capitol. Polehanki will never forget this moment. Polehanki said, considering the political environment of today, we cannot afford to overlook risks anymore.
The measure under proposal reflects a 2023 Michigan State Capitol Commission ruling prohibiting weapons from the Capitol. If passed, nevertheless, these statutes would confirm the ban into state law, therefore providing a more permanent protection.
Interestingly, the measures carve out an exemption for legislators themselves. Concealed pistol licensed (CPL) senators and delegates would still be allowed to carry concealed guns within the facilities. Some have objected to this, notably Senator Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan), who called the exception hypocritical. McBroom asked if the argument is about safety, then why are legislators handled differently?
McBroom also seized the opportunity to criticize what he believes to be misguided goals in Lansing.
“We have important needs across the State, including the U.P.,” McBroom said as Upper Michigan Source reported. “We need to get the Copperwood Project started on the west end of the U.P. We need to be pushing hard to get the Line 5 tunnel moving forward as quickly as possible.”
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Still up for discussion, the laws have gathered steam. They successfully cleared the Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety and have been referred to the Senate Committee of the Whole. Advocates of the measures are hopeful about their future given the present Democratic majority in the House until January 2025.
Critics, however, caution that after Republicans take over the House in 2025, the law could be more difficult to implement. For now, the lame-duck session offers Democrats a critical window for advancing the proposal.
The proposed restriction reflects more general concerns about public official and visitor safety in government premises. The outcome of the proposals will determine how Michigan negotiates the balance between Second Amendment rights and public security in the halls of power as arguments go on.