Michigan House Bill 4416, a permitless carry bill will be heard in the Michigan House Judiciary Committee this Wednesday afternoon. Your action can make a huge impact and stop this reckless legislation.
What is HB 4416? This is a horrible, gun lobby driven bill which will allow people to carry a hidden, loaded handgun with no license, background check, or safety training. Essentially any Michigander will be able to carry a hidden, loaded pistol, no questions asked.
Why is this happening? For some background on this type of legislation being pushed in many states please see these two articles from the Trace.
- https://www.thetrace.org/2017/
02/constitutional-carry-gun-ri ghts-absolutists/ - https://www.thetrace.org/2017/
02/constitutional-carry-gun-ri ghts-movement-explained/
This legislation is more accurately called permitless carry as there is NO constitutional carry. And Americans for Responsible Solutions suggests a more apt name for this legislation would be RECKLESS carry.
How well is the current system working?
A review of Concealed Pistol License (CPL) reports from the Michigan State Police tells us that of the number of applicants for a CPL, 3,040 were disqualified, 1,928 were suspended, and 2,054 were revoked in the most recent report. The argument will be made that we should not “inconvenience” “law abiding” citizens, however, the mean amount of time it takes for FBI clearance is just 9 hours.
Do gun owners support CPL systems?
Per a very recent poll just out from Americans for Responsible Solutions, “Gun owners overwhelmingly support requiring a permit to carry concealed. Nearly 9 out 10 gun owners, 88 percent, believe the requirement to have a permit to carry a concealed handgun in a public place should remain in place.”
How can you help?
Here are actions that you can take to stop this horrible legislation:
1. Show up and vote during every election!
2. Show up and testify against this reckless legislation:
Wednesday, May 10 at 2:30pm
House Office Building, Room 326
124 N Capital Avenue, Lansing, Michigan
3. Submit written testimony to the Clerk of Judiciary (Clerk@house.mi.gov) and to members of the Judiciary Committee (Click here for contact information.)
Need some pointers for giving testimony? Click here for a help page on our website with additional tips for testifying.
So, show up, sign up and speak out. In the words of John Lewis, “Make some GOOD trouble.” See you this Wednesday, May 10 at 2:30 pm!