LANSING — The Michigan Senate passed a new set of gun control bills Wednesday, one with bipartisan support — but the proposals are unlikely to pass through the state House.
“We’re going to keep going because people keep dying, people keep getting hurt,” said Sen. Mallory McMorrow, (D) District 8, Royal Oak. “The laws that we have passed so far are working, but our work is certainly not done”
One bill — SB 224 — would ban the manufacturing and possession of bump stocks, after-market devices that allow a semiautomatic weapon to fire much more rapidly.
The bill would put bump stocks in the same legal category as silencers, brass knuckles and machine guns.
“There’s no legitimate reason to have one of these weapons,” said Ryan Bates, executive director of End Gun Violence Michigan. “The only reason to have a conversion device on a semi automatic rifle is to kill a lot of people fast, and we don’t need that in this state.”
A Supreme Court ruling last year overturned the federal ban on bump stocks, but left it up to the states or Congress to make their own regulations.
The Democratic-controlled Senate passed the bump stock ban with support from three Republicans, while the rest of the votes in the package fell on party-lines.
Another set of proposals — SB 331 and 332 — would prohibit the manufacture and creation of ‘ghost guns’, firearms made at home with individually purchased or created parts.
It would also establish a process for a weapon to be given a serial number by a federally-licensed manufacturer.
Republicans, who opposed the bill, say that those who are intent on breaking the law also wouldn’t have an issue with disobeying the potential ban.
“This legislation does nothing to stop black market firearms sales, reduce crime or enhance public safety,” said Sen. Jum Runestad, (R) Distrsict 23, Monroe. “Instead, it burdens law abiding citizens with excessive regulation.”
But gun safety advocates say that the policies would still make it more difficult to obtain a ghost gun.
“They can either create guns that law enforcement can’t trace, that can get around our background check systems, and that makes all of us less safe,” Bates said.
With a Republican-controlled House, it’s unlikely the legislation will move forward this term.
Michigan previously enacted gun control policies in 2023, establishing firearm safe storage requirements, universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders, also known as red flag laws.
In the first year of its implementation, the red flag law resulted in the temporary confiscation of guns for nearly 300 individuals. Over 80 requests were also denied by judges.