LANSING, Mich., May 15, 2026 — Yesterday, the Michigan House passed House Bills 5744 and 5745, sponsored by state Rep. Cynthia Neeley (D-Flint). The legislation strengthens community safety and addresses gun violence across Michigan by increasing penalties for shootings involving occupied vehicles and residential areas — especially in cases where children are injured or killed. In response, Neeley released the following statement:
“Every child deserves to be safe. At home. In their parent’s car. In their neighborhoods. In the rooms where they sleep, where they brush their teeth and where they start and end their day. They deserve that safety always. Not sometimes. Not most of the time. But all of the time.
“Gun violence continues to leave deep wounds in communities across Michigan. And too often, it is children and families who carry the weight of that harm. I have sat with parents and loved ones whose lives were forever altered in a single moment; families who are never the same again.
“The passage of House Bills 5744 and 5745 reflects a clear and urgent commitment across our state to protect our communities, to strengthen accountability when reckless gunfire puts children at risk, and to do everything in our power to prevent another family from enduring this kind of heartbreak. I will continue developing policies to better protect our children and our neighborhoods from gun violence.”
Press Release | State Rep. Cynthia Neeley