Michigan: House Committee Advances Carry Restrictions Bill

Yesterday, the House Committee on Elections passed House Bills 4127 and 4128, to prohibit lawful carry in or around polling places and other election related locations. This package will now go to the House floor. Please contact your state representative and ask them to OPPOSE HBs 4127 and 4128.

House Bill 4127 prohibits possessing firearms within a 100ft radius of entrances of buildings containing polling places, early-voting locations, and absentee ballot drop-off locations during election activity. While there is an exemption for firearms “in” private residences within such zones, there are no exemptions for firearms in private vehicles or at businesses that are completely unrelated to the election activity. 

House Bill 4128 prohibits possessing firearms within a 100ft radius of entrances of ballot counting locations, with no exemption for private residences.

So-called gun-free zones are just arbitrary boundaries that disarm law-abiding citizens while doing nothing to hinder violent criminals, who by definition, ignore the law. Nothing in these bills require authorities to provide security measures to protect disarmed citizens by ensuring that armed criminals do not enter, such as staffed metal detectors or a police presence. Nothing requires them to clearly delineate a 100ft radius either, which can result in otherwise law-abiding citizens inadvertently violating them. 

Again, please contact your state representative and ask them to OPPOSE HBs 4127 and 4128.