Title
Resolution in Support of Michigan Senate Bill 352 of 2021
Body
Whereas, State Senator Jeff Irwin has introduced Michigan Senate Bill 352 of 2021 to amend Section 3 of 1990 PA 319 (MCL 123.1103);
Whereas, Senate Bill 352 would restore local control over gun regulations on public property, allowing cities, townships, and counties to adopt rules like those governing courthouses or schools;
Whereas, When regulatory power is taken away from local governments by higher levels of government, it can create a dangerous gap between the people passing laws and those living with and enforcing them;
Whereas, State preemption statutes threaten public safety by hindering enforcement of gun laws, because federal and state law enforcement agencies generally lack the resources to properly oversee all the firearms in their jurisdictions;
Whereas, For most of the nation's history, local governments generally had the authority to enact firearm regulations in the interest of protecting public safety;
Whereas, Due to a change in state law in 1991, Michigan limits local governments' authority to maintain safety on our property by prohibiting the responsible regulation of firearms;
Whereas, Different communities throughout Michigan face unique challenges, and local laws serve the important purpose in addressing the unique issues and dangers facing each individual community when it comes to gun violence;
Whereas, According to the Detroit Free Press, there were 20 mass shootings in Michigan in 2020 and nine in 2019;
Whereas, In 2019 nearly 40,000 Americans lost their lives to gun violence and in 2020 more than 41,500 Americans lost their lives to gun violence, according to the Gun Violence Archive;
Whereas, A 2019 mass shooting inside a Virginia Beach municipal building killed 12 people, including 11 municipal employees, and injured others; and
Whereas, Ann Arbor has a responsibility to maintain safety in our municipal buildings and publicly-owned spaces, but is curren...
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