LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Joseph Bellino on Thursday turned in legislation as part of a package to allow responsible adults to carry a concealed firearm without a special license.
“The right of the people to keep and bear arms is under attack under the guise of safety — making it harder for law-abiding adults to defend themselves and their families doesn’t make us safer,” said Bellino, R- Monroe. “This legislative package would get rid of a burdensome concealed carry law, restore peoples’ constitutional rights and enable more responsible gun owners to defend themselves and their loved ones.”
The right to keep and bear arms is protected under Article 1, Section 6 of the Michigan Constitution. While Michigan is a so-called “shall issue” state, residents must first complete a state approved pistol training course, submit their fingerprints to a state database, and pay a $100 application fee in order to receive a concealed pistol license (CPL). The license expires after five years, and license holders must pay $115 to renew a license.
Senate Bills 308-313 would repeal the current requirement to obtain a CPL for individuals who are not otherwise prohibited from possessing a pistol and allow concealed carry without a license where either open carry or CPL holders are currently allowed to do so.
If the bills were signed into law, Michigan would join 27 states that enacted similar laws establishing constitutional carry.
“Michigan’s concealed carry laws force regular citizens to jump through unnecessary hoops and pay bureaucratic fees simply for the ability to exercise their constitutional rights,” Bellino said.
The bills would repeal the current requirements for individuals, military members and retired law enforcement officers in good standing to obtain a CPL. They would also eliminate safe zones, repeal the requirement related to the transportation of firearms for CPL holders and remove sentencing guidelines for CPLs.
Bellino’s bill would repeal the corrections code for CPLs.
The package will be formally introduced and referred to committee on Tuesday.
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