LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Ahead of the legislative recess, legislation to add protections for Michigan owners of all ages, as well as those on college campuses was introduced in the Michigan House. 

Under House Bill 4831, sponsored by Representative Gina Johnsen (R-Lake Odessa), it would create a Second Amendment Financial Privacy Act which would prohibit bank and credit card companies from mandating that Michigan retailers use specialized codes during purchases that would single out firearm purchases. 

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“We don’t want this slippery slope where now they send these codes and individuals names to an IRS agent or government entity, where they are now flagged as potentially dangerous because they purchased a gun, this is against our second amendment rights and it doesn’t’ encourage safety,” Representative Johnsen said in an interview with Michigan News Source. 

Another bill, House Bill 4285, also nicknamed the “Campus Carry Bill” would permit Concealed Carry Permit (CPL) holders to carry their firearms on college and university campuses throughout Michigan, whose origin began after the shooting at Michigan State University and for several other factors. 

“If the real goal is to have safety, you have to figure out how to help these students defend themselves or at least have half a chance, you can run, you can hide, but if people on campus that are armed and trained and ready to defend themselves and others, that is the way we have to look at it,” she said in the interview. 

Representative Johnsen also acknowledged that it would work in conjunction with law enforcement, which doesn’t always arrive immediately. 

“Police always take a certain amount of time to get somewhere, they do a great job when they get there, they did a great job, but it takes too long,” she said, “We can’t have campuses, places where [students] are basically sitting ducks.  Any gun free zone is a zone where folks know no one else here is armed, it is a free for all for someone who is mentally ill, or who is violent, or who is angry, and they have guns or any kind of weapon – they could have had knives.” 

Students with CPL’s on public campuses, and private campuses who are encouraged to adopt similar rules must go through extensive training and be at least 21 years of age according to Representative Johnsen. 

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“This campus carry bill is to encourage and to allow those who have CPL licenses, concealed carry licenses recognized in the state of Michigan, they have undergone training, they have passed tests, they are fingerprinted, they legally have a gun, and they are carrying it concealed, if they have that training and they are licensed then they should be able to carry on a campus in Michigan.” 

Previously, the Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed several other gun bills into law regarding heighted storage requirements, Extreme Risk Protection Orders (also known as “Red Flag” laws, and expanding background checks for those purchasing firearms. 

“I don’t think we’re already enforcing laws we already have on the books,” Representative Johnsen said, “More legislation of the kind that we just had for the past few months will not help the problem that’s why I voted no, and the two bills I have at least raise awareness and gives us an opportunity to to look at these possibilities.”

The merchant code discussion ought to be a bipartisan discussion because it relates to privacy and the second amendment according to Rep. Johnsen, who also expressed her hopes for the future discussions of the bills. 

“I hope these two bills raise the bar on the discussion to be an open, transparent, public, and full discussion about how we get to safety,” she said, “Because everybody says that the goal, well if it’s the real goal, it’s not just running legislation through, it’s enforcement of current laws and it’s getting rid of the gun free zones and dealing with this properly.” 

House Bill 4831 was referred to the House Committee on Insurance and Financial Services for consideration while House Bill 4285 was referred to the House Government Operations Committee; both bills await public hearings.