LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Attorney General Dana Nessel has confirmed that she and the legislature are looking into stricter gun legislation following the shooting at MSU on Monday.
At a protest at the Capitol on Wednesday, Attorney General Nessel addressed those present offering her condolences and several promises.
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“I have two Spartans who were sheltering in place with many of you just a few nights ago, and of all the times that we have said it’s time to do something about this, here’s the good news is that for Michigan State University students, you already did something about this. You voted last November and you voted so that we could have meaningful change in this state and that change is about to come.”
She went on to confirm that the new legislature, with a Democrat majority in the House and the Senate, had been working on new gun legislation.
“Ever since the new legislature took office, we have been working with them – my department has been working with the state house and with the state senate – to ensure that there is meaningful legislation that is put into place, and that it happens very soon,” Attorney General Nessel said, “The promise that at long last that I can make to all of you is not just to fight for meaningful gun violence prevention legislation, but to know that we’re working together to actually to put that legislation into place, and that is about to happen. And that is about to happen in large part because of all of the work that so many of you here did to organize, to get people out to the polls in East Lansing and around this state, and to make sure that we didn’t have more victims, more needless victims of senseless gun violence.”
Following her public remarks, Nessel was asked after her speech some particular questions about how the MSU shooter, Anthony McRae, was able to acquire the guns that he used in the shooting and what could be done in the future to stop such a thing from happening.
“What if we had laws in place where you could turn in a family member and know that that person wasn’t necessarily going be arrested or prosecuted but you certainly would want to be able to remove guns from a person who really is not in a legal state or mental mindframe to be possessing those weapons,” Nessel said, “
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She also mentioned that in part because of resources, law enforcement does not always verify beyond “the honor system” that someone on parole or probation does not have a firearm in their possession and suggested a possible remedy.
“It’s one thing for a person to be in a legal state where they are not permitted to have weapons but you know is everybody just on the honor system? And we just say okay the court of law can say you’re not allowed to have weapons, ‘okay, got it judge.’ What are we really doing to ensure that those people really don’t have weapons?,” Attorney General Nessel said, “And you know, part of it is a resource issue, but what can we do to better provide sheriffs and local law enforcement with the ability to go in and actually remove guns from the home from someone who is not legally permitted to have guns?”
While none of the new gun legislation has been introduced in the House, several bills were introduced in the Senate pertaining to Extreme Risk Protection Orders, Safe Storage, and prohibiting sales of firearms to those with an ERPO.
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