Whitmer signs gun safety bills in wake of school shootings

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed a number of bills on Thursday aimed to implement gun safety measures in the state amid the recent rise of school shootings across the United States.

In a news release, Whitmer’s office said that the governor signed four Senate bills and two House bills into law.

Senate Bill 79, sponsored by state Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D), will protect children by requiring an individual to keep firearms stored in locked boxes or containers. It also establishes a range of penalties if violated.

Senate Bill 80, sponsored by state Sen. McDonald Rivet (D), also updates the state’s criminal code for safe storage of firearms to prevent child from gaining access to the weapons.

Senate Bills 81 and 82 will lower the costs of firearm safety devices to ensure owners can safely store their guns, keeping them away from children and out of the hands of criminals.

House Bills 4138 and 4142 will also protect Michigan families by closing loopholes in the standing law and expand universal background checks to all firearms.

“Today, we are turning our pain into purpose and honoring those we have lost with commonsense gun violence prevention legislation supported by a majority of Michiganders,” Whitmer said in her statement, adding that “universal background checks and safe are  long-overdue steps” that will keep firearms away from criminals, domestic abusers, and children at home.

“I want to thank my partners in the legislature for getting this done, the advocates who fought so hard to make this happen, and every Michigander impacted by gun violence who shared their stories,” she continued. “We will keep working together to prevent mass shootings, reduce gun violence, and save lives.” 

The recent measures come in response to recent school shootings within the state — including the 2021 incident at Oxford High School where four students were killed, and another at Michigan State University (MSU) earlier this year where three students were killed after a gunman entered the campus and opened fire. 

In the aftermath of the MSU incident, Michigan’s state legislature had a sweeping 11-bill gun safety package, though it was predominately drafted after the Oxford High School shooting and got little movement in then Republican-controlled state legislature. 

Recent mass shootings at a private elementary school in Nashville, Tenn., and a local bank in Louisville, Ky. have also sparked ongoing discussions around gun reform and safety in the U.S.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.