LANSING, Mich., March 2, 2023 — House Democrats held testimony yesterday on an 11-bill package addressing commonsense gun reforms. The bills will tackle gun violence through three central reforms — universal background checks for all firearms, secure storage laws, and extreme risk protection orders that allow a court to take temporary possession of a firearm if the court finds that an individual is at risk of harming themselves or others.
Democrats have repeatedly introduced gun reform legislation in the previous Republican-led majority without success. Now, state Rep. Erin Byrnes (D-Dearborn) has worked with her Democratic colleagues as a member of the bicameral Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention Caucus to support the introduction of these bills in the new Democratic majority. The recent mass shooting at Michigan State University has highlighted the urgent need for bipartisan support to end gun violence and increase public safety. Byrnes issued the following statement supporting the legislation:
“Commonsense gun reform legislation is long overdue. As legislators and community members, we are done with the status quo that has allowed so many tragic shootings to occur. Just a few short weeks ago, the lives of three MSU students were senselessly taken, and five more were seriously injured as a result of gun violence. Gun violence is a public health crisis that leaves no community untouched. Please know our new Democratic majority can and will act. In fact, we have. We must require universal background checks on all gun sales, establish secure storage laws and implement extreme risk protection orders — lives depend on it.”