In response to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down a federal ban on bump stocks, Michigan State Sen. Dayna Polehanki has proposed a statewide prohibition on these firearm attachments that allow semiautomatic rifles to shoot more rapidly, CBS News Detroit reports. Polehanki's Senate Bill 942 targets the purchase, possession, and manufacturing of bump stocks, less than two weeks after the nation's Supreme Court decision, which concluded that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives had overreached in classifying bump stocks under the legal definition of machine guns. Her swift action suggests an urgency to address what she considers a significant public safety issue.
Highlighting the stakes involved, Sen. Polehanki stated, "We don't want to make it easy for people to hurt our citizens," as per CBS News Detroit, while a gun store associate named Mac Mallah, from Tactical Edge Gun Shop in Dearborn, expressed opposition to the proposed ban it, arguing, per CBS News Detroit, "Why do you need a fancy car? Why do you need a helicopter? Why do you need a soda? You know what I mean? It's more something I'd like to have, to have fun with it", these attachments, which were used by the gunman in the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting, have been a point of contention as Michigan looks to join the other 16 states and Washington, D.C., that currently enforce their bans.
According to The Detroit News, Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in the Supreme Court's opinion that a semiautomatic rifle equipped with a bump stock isn't a machine gun as it doesn't fire more than one shot "by a single function of the trigger", however, those opposed to bump stocks point to the ease with which they allow rapid firing, which Polehanki referenced, citing the Las Vegas shooting where over a thousand rounds were fired in roughly eleven minutes. The Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety is currently considering the bill, and it remains unclear how much bipartisan support can be garnered; the Democrat-controlled Michigan Legislature has been active in pushing for measures aimed at reducing gun violence, which Polehanki's efforts dovetail with, as the state grapples with how to best ensure public safety without impinging upon constitutional rights.
State Rep. Jim DeSana, a Republican from Carleton, has stated his intent not to support the bill, arguing that "the people’s constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms and the right of self defense is absolute and cannot be restricted, infringed or regulated to the point that a law abiding citizen would find themselves in violation of laws just for having certain types of guns," he stated, as per The Detroit News, the discourse in Michigan continues to reflect the national debate on gun control as representatives from various political spectrums weigh in on the issue. With lawmakers set to take a recess before delving into the state’s budget concerns, any definitive action on the bill is expected to be postponed until after they reconvene.
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