Town hall sheds light on potential impact of Michigan’s proposed gun reform

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – Republican state lawmakers held a town hall meeting Monday and invited guests in support of the right to carry.

With new gun laws proposed in Michigan, state representatives want residents to know the information about what is and isn’t legal and how these laws will impact their right to carry.

Michigan gun reform draws mixed responses across state

“The safe storage law specifically, isn’t going to change anyone’s behavior one bit for better or worse, is my prediction,” said Steve Dulan, with the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners. “If you’re a safe person, this law isn’t going to make you more safe and if you’re not, this law isn’t going to effect your unsafe behavior either.”

State Rep. Brian BeGole hosted the informative town hall meeting. He aimed to enlighten residents about what he said are the long-term implications of bills related to safe storage, red flag laws, and universal background checks.

“We have a problem in the United States with shootings and I want to get to the heart of the problem and that is the mental crisis that is hitting us,” BeGole said. “Taking guns away from law-abiding citizens is not the answer, it’s a gun grab.”

For End Gun Violence Michigan, they said the opposite and that guns are the root of the problem.

“The reason we have gun violence in this country unlike any other industrialized country in the world is because we have so many guns, full stop,” said Ryan Bates. “It’s not for any other reason.”

BeGole argues the focus should be on assisting people in need rather than gun confiscation.

“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people. We’ve always had plenty of guns here in the United States and in Michigan and that we need to solve the problem and we need to concentrate on the mental health aspect of it,” BeGole said. “So, I believe taking the person and getting them some help and solving the problem rather than taking guns away from law-abiding citizens.”

Bates, on the other hand, argued that the laws have already produced tangible results.

“The State of Florida, when they put in a safe storage law, youth firearm deaths went down by 50%,” Bates said. “So we know these laws work and we know these laws save lives.”

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