Following the shooting at Oxford High School last week, many have called for action from Lansing. Thursday, Senate Democrats introduced a pair of bills aimed at increasing gun safety.
Senator Rosemary Bayer is the head of the Gun Violence and Safety Caucus within the legislature. She is also the state senator that represents the village of Oxford and despite that tie into the tragedy, she says this new bill has nothing to do with response to the shooting. It was actually planned well before the event, it’s just now more timely than ever.
“Thoughts and love and prayers don’t go far enough,” said Bayer.
During the press conference, Bayer made it very clear, she does not want to take away guns. Her bills would make it illegal to purchase new magazines that hold more than ten rounds.
“Anyone who already has such a magazine will be able to keep that,” said Bayer, “They just have to report it to their local law enforcement.”
Gun control is a hot button topic Democrats have tried to tackle multiple times with no success. Following Oxford, Speaker of the House Jason Wentworth seemed open to changes but nothing specific.
“If there’s changes that need to be made we’ll be looking at those options and keeping an open mind to whatever ideas and suggestions will help curb this kind of thing from happening again in the future,” said Wentworth.
Nine states already have similar laws in place and Bayer and her caucus see this as a compromise. One they say will save lives in the future.
“There’s been some pretty stubborn resistance,” said Bayer, “But as you can tell, we’re not talking about taking away guns. So there is no infringement on anybody’s Second Amendment rights.”
These bills are just a few, of the many, that the Gun Violence and Safety Caucus are pushing forward over the next few months but it is not yet known if any of them are going to get hearings in committee.
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