LANSING, Mich. (WWJ) – State leaders and lawmakers are renewing calls for the Legislature to bring to committee a set of bills that would enforce safer gun storage.
The Secure Firearm Storage Bills would require guns to be stored safely and provide criminal penalties if failure to safely store a gun results in injury or death.
Attorney General Dana Nessel was among those pushing for the legislation, which was introduced last summer but has not moved forward.
Nessel said it is “unconscionable” that Michigan’s gun laws don’t include “common sense safety measures.”
“We absolutely need to prioritize our kids over our guns, and that requires us to pass laws that require safety measures that are followed when guns are around children,” Nessel said.
“Simple as that,” she added.
Nessel says there have been over 30 cases of gun deaths or injuries involving children since 2019 in Wayne County alone.
In November, four Oxford High School students were killed by a teen who allegedly had access to a gun his parents bought for him, according to prosecutors, though the parents have claimed it was locked inside of a drawer.
Among those killed was 14-year-old Hana St. Juliana. Her sister, Reina St. Juliana, on Tuesday spoke before lawmakers, saying the bills could have prevented the tragedy.
“The Oxford school shooting was not the first. In fact, horrifically, as many know, it’s one of many tragic, needless incidents,” St. Juliana said. “So why are we not trying harder to stop it?”
In advocating for the bills, St. Juliana said the next steps “should not be training kids to barricade doors, hide in corners and to live in fear.”
“The next step must be to pass laws and create the change that will prevent this from ever happening again. Don’t let another child lose their life this way.”
The package of bills, which were introduced in both chambers, would require guns to be secured in a lockbox or locked with a locking device so minors can’t access the firearm.
Under the proposed legislation, it would be a misdemeanor, punishable by more than 90 days in jail and a $500 fine if someone was found guilty of failing to secure a gun and a minor obtained it and possessed it in public or in a threatening or reckless manner in the presence of other people.
It would be a felony – punishable by up to five years or a $5,000 fine – if a person failed to secure a gun and a minor used it to harm or kill themself or another person.
There would be exemptions for minors using a firearm with permission from a parent or guardian, including for hunting, target practice, employment, ranching or farming.
On Monday, a new group called End Gun Violence Michigan started a new push for stricter gun laws in the state, saying they may initiate a ballot initiative if the legislature doesn’t make meaningful progress by 2024.
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