LANSING — State Rep. Kara Hope (D-Holt) introduced House Bill 4690 recently to improve safety at Michigan target ranges and shooting facilities. Hope’s legislation would require that any individual renting a firearm is legally allowed to possess a firearm.
“This is a simple, commonsense measure to protect the employees and patrons of these facilities along with the public,” said Hope. “My bill would close a glaring loophole that allows individuals who cannot legally possess firearms to access them in these settings.”
HB 4690 is a reintroduction of bipartisan legislation proposed last session. The bill was originally introduced following the tragic shooting death of a young woman at her Eaton County workplace. The shooter, the victim’s boyfriend, had been arrested three weeks before the murder for a domestic violence incident. Even though the shooter would not have passed a background check to buy a firearm, he was able to legally rent a gun at gun store to use at the shooting range. He left the store’s shooting range with that gun and used it to murder his ex-girlfriend and then take his own life.
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