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What you need to know about Michigan's new gun laws

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What you need to know about Michigan's new gun laws


GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As we remember the tragedy on Michigan State University’s campus that happened exactly one year ago Tuesday, we also look to the future by starting a new chapter in Michigan’s fight against gun violence.

In response the state’s two mass shootings in a 15-month span (Oxford High School, MSU), Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Democratic-led legislature signed several gun reform bills in law. On Tuesday, those laws take effect.

“They’re narrowly tailored, if you will, to address very specific problems,” said Pat Miles, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. “Problems that we have experienced, problems that we’ve seen repeatedly over the last few decades.”

The laws revolve around four main ideas: Universal Background Checks, Safe Storage Requirements, Extreme Risk Protection Orders (Red Flag Laws) and Limits on Domestic Abusers.

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FOX 17 breaks them down below:

UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS

Background checks, at a basic level, are nothing new to Michigan. Such checks have already been required for handgun purchases. Under this new law, background checks have now been extended to all firearms, including long guns.

Anyone buying any type of gun must first obtain a license or go through a national federal instant background check to purchase a firearm.

This is spelled out in Public Acts No. 18, No. 19 and No. 22.

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Background checks look for previous felony convictions, commitments to mental institutions, a history of domestic violence and/or other concerning details about a prospective buyer’s past.

According to Miles, these are “common sense, minimal restrictions on gun ownership. In fact, they’re really not even a restriction as much as they are just a step in a process towards getting a firearm.”

SAFE STORAGE REQUIREMENTS

Public Act No. 15, No. 16 and No. 17 were adopted to protect Michigan families, especially children, from the dangers of violence.

It “requires individuals to keep unattended weapons unloaded and locked with a locking device or stored in a locked box or container if it is reasonably known that a minor is likely to be present on the premises,” according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. That means, even if you on someone else’s property, if a child is present, your unattended gun must be locked away.

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This applies to any firearm purchased before or after Feb. 13, and aims to address an issue that isn’t unique to Michigan.

In fact, healthychildren.org said 4.6 million kids live in homes with unlocked, loaded guns.

“When gun violence is the leading cause of death among children, then we’ve got a problem,” Miles said. “So this legislation is an effort to fix that problem.”

Watch our full interview below with Miles.

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Pat Miles on New Gun Laws

While lawmakers hope this change will inspire gun owners to take the necessary steps toward preventing a tragedy, it really makes a difference on the back end during prosecution.

According to a summary of the safe storage laws by Michigan’s House Fiscal Agency, here are the potential penalties for a violation:

• If the minor possesses or exhibits the firearm in a public place or possesses or exhibits the firearm in the presence of another person in a careless, reckless, or threatening manner: a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for up to 93 days or a fine of up to $500, or both
• If the minor discharges the firearm and injures themselves or another individual: a felony punishable by imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to $5,000, or both.
• If the minor discharges the firearm and inflicts serious impairment of a body function1 on themselves or another individual: a felony punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine of up to $7,500, or both.
• If the minor discharges the firearm and inflicts death on themselves or another individual: a felony punishable by imprisonment for up to 15 years or a fine of up to $10,000, or both. The criminal penalties could be imposed in addition to any penalty that may be imposed for any other criminal offense arising from the same conduct.

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EXTREME RISK PROTECTION ORDERS

Perhaps the most controversial piece of legislation deals with Extreme Risk Protection Orders, commonly referred to as ‘Red Flag Laws.’

Public Acts No. 37 and No. 38 aim to take guns out of the hands of people who might be at risk of harming themselves or others. Michigan was the 21st state in the country to enact such laws.

Essentially, a judge can enforce an order if someone is unfit to purchase or possess a firearm. That determination would be based on the petition process through evidence provided by law enforcement agencies, medical and mental health care providers, family members, legal guardians, former spouses, dating partners or previous house/roommates.

If the judge deems the matter an emergency, firearms can be removed from the respondent immediately. In most other cases, the judge will notify the respondent of the petition ahead of a hearing process.

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As Miles explains, a single example of a mental health episode will likely not lead to an ERPO:

“If there is a history of violence, a history of personal protection orders being taken out that go back several months or years, then that is certainly gonna be taken into account versus somebody who’s never had a history of violence,” he said.

Miles called ERPO’s procedural guard rails, ones that Clinical Psychologist Susan Silk, PhD, from Southfield, Michigan, said could’ve prevented the unfortunate tragedies that led to this law.

“Those four kids in Oxford, and those three kids at MSU, probably would be alive today if somebody had activated a red flag,” she said, “but it doesn’t address the larger mental health issue.”

Watch our full interview below with Silk.

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Susan Silk on New Gun Laws

The challenge, Silk admitted, is balancing people’s civil rights while also protecting the public.

“I would be willing to bet my — anything — that there are no active shooter instances where there were lots and lots and lots of warning signs,” she said. “The reverse, however, is not true. That’s what makes it so difficult. Lots of people make threats, lots of people exhibit warning signs who never act on them.”

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ERPO’s, when issued, are not permanent. Instead, they expire one year after the application date.

LIMITS ON DOMESTIC ABUSERS

Public Act No. 200 prevents convicted domestic violence abusers from purchasing or owning guns and ammo for eight years.

Public Acts No. 199 and No. 201 take it even further by forbidding those convicted of misdemeanors involving domestic violence from using or owning guns and ammo, and clarify what domestic violence actions constitute disqualification from owning guns.

You can read more from our FOX 17 coverage when these domestic violence-related laws were signed into law in Nov. 2023.

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Cage-free eggs ready to roll across Michigan grocery stores as new law begins

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Cage-free eggs ready to roll across Michigan grocery stores as new law begins


DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — Michigan is all set to roll out its new law banning the sale and production of caged eggs across the state.

The law that was passed in 2019 will be enacted starting Dec. 31, 2024. This places Michigan among the 10 states in the country to ban the production of caged eggs.

But will this lead to an increase in egg prices? And who will it impact the most?

Egg Bar is one of the fresh new restaurants to hit the streets of Dearborn. The co-founder, Karl Makky, says they take pride in the food they serve.

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Just about every item on the menu involves an egg.

“Even the bread has eggs in it,” Makky said.

To crack this wide open, Egg Bar place uses more than 800 eggs a day, spending more than $5,000 a month. For them, eggs being important is an understatement.

“One hundred percent. Life for Egg Bar depends on eggs,” Makky said.

It turns out all the eggs used at the restaurant are pasture-raised, cage-free eggs.

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“Because that was our statement. We wanted to give the customer the best egg. And animal cruelty, we have a soft spot for animals,” Makky said.

“So you must be welcoming this new rule which is coming to Michigan starting December 31st, any egg sold in Michigan has to be cage-free eggs,” said Javed.

“Yes, I am. But I wish they would have done it from the very beginning. So now, the punishment is on the restaurant and on the customers,” Makky said. “Because the prices are going to go up.”

But Dr. Nancy Barr with Michigan Allied Poultry Industries has the other side.

“I don’t think so. Again, the supply and the demand is really the major factor for egg prices. And because of the impacts of the highly pathogenic avian influenza over the past year or two… that’s why you are seeing higher egg prices now,” Barr said.

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Hear more from Nancy Barr in the video player below:

FULL INTERVIEW: Dr. Nancy Barr talks about cage free egg law

Even though whole egg prices are set on the commodities market, in the long run, Barr says supply should not be an issue. And that’s because the state law, which only allows the sale and production of cage-free eggs, was signed in 2019 and was given a five-year, phase-in period.

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“Our farmers have been committed to moving in this direction, so they’ve been doing it over a number of years and they are ready to supply all the eggs Michigan needs,” Barr said.

The new requirement exempts eggs produced at farms with less than 3,000 egg-laying hens. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will monitor the cage-free standard.

Barr says the quality and taste of the eggs won’t change “a bit” and customers should not notice a difference.

“Only that the company that is selling the eggs has labeled the carton as such,” Barr said.

Barr also says that even if egg prices rise in the new year, they will still be an affordable source of quality protein.

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Oklahoma vs. Michigan Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Wednesday, December 18th

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Oklahoma vs. Michigan Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Wednesday, December 18th


Oklahoma will take its unbeaten record to a neutral site showdown for a matchup with upstart Michigan. 

While the Wolverines have dropped two straight after an 8-0 start, they appear to be a formidable Big Ten unit this season under first-year head coach Dusty May. They are poised to take down 10-0 Oklahoma as favorites in Charlotte on Wednesday. 

How do these two teams match up? Will OU maintain its sterling record, or can the Wolverines show that the two-game skid is nothing more than a blip on what should be a strong first campaign from May in Ann Arbor? 

Here’s our betting preview. 

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Spread

Moneyline

Total: 150.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Oklahoma

Jeremiah Fears: The freshman has been stellar in starting his career in Norman, averaging nearly 17 points per game with three rebounds and nearly five assists while doing an excellent job of getting to the free-throw line.

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Michigan

Danny Wolf: The Yale transfer has been an instant star for the Wolverines, playing point forward as the team’s leader in assist rate while also contributing as a top three score as a threat from both inside and out. Wolf is scoring more than 12 points per game with nearly 10 rebounds and three assists, one of the Big Ten’s unique talents. 

Michigan is over-reliant on Wolf’s creation as its backcourt is way too sloppy with the ball. Overall, the Wolverines are 335th in turnover rate with its best offense being Wolf and Vladislav Goldin’s two-man game. While effective, the Sooners’ defense is elite against the pick-and-roll and is a turnover-minded defense that ranks top 20 in the country in turnover percentage. 

Michigan’s inability to protect the rock and stop transition opportunities for opponents, ranking below the national average in points allowed per possession in transition against an OU offense that loves to hunt for opportunities in the open court. 

This game should be open with plenty of possessions, and Michigan should find answers around the rim against a limited OU frontcourt that is 239th in points allowed near the rim, per Haslametrics. I expect a big night for Wolf and Goldin around the rim. 

However, the OU offense should be able to win on the margins with transition buckets and a justified top-50 effective field goal rate. 

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In what should be a back-and-forth affair, I’ll side with the over in Charlotte. 

PICK: OVER 150.5

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.



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Michigan State Spartans Insider Podcast: Recapping Spartans’ Win Over Oakland

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Michigan State Spartans Insider Podcast: Recapping Spartans’ Win Over Oakland


DETROIT, Mich. — No. 20 Michigan State earned its third double-digit victory on Tuesday, defeating Oakland, 77-58, at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

The score wasn’t a very accurate representation of the meeting, as Oakland tested the Spartans for most of the game — it wasn’t until late in the second half that the Spartans really began to pull away.

Michigan State had just a 1-point lead at halftime, having only scored 31 points through the first 20 minutes. But halftime adjustments were made, and the Spartans eventually found an offensive rhythm while locking down the Golden Grizzlies on defense, holding Oakland to just 28 points in the second half.

Michigan State had three players finish in double figures in the scoring column — sophomore forward Xavier Booker, who recorded a career-high 18 points, senior guard Jaden Akins, who posted 16 and junior forward Jaxon Kohler, who earned his third straight double-double, scoring 14 points while grabbing 10 boards.

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Our Michigan State beat reporter, Aidan Champion, recaps the contest on this latest postgame edition of the Michigan State Spartans Insider Podcast.

You can watch the episode below:

Below is a partial transcript from Michigan State coach Tom Izzo’s opening statement of his postgame press conference:

Izzo: “For the people down here — I mean, there’s part of me that hates this game, I’ve said it every year — but you got to give Kampe credit, man. The time he’s put in there, the job he’s done, the different lineups he’s had to play, the injuries he’s going through. I thought the kid, No. 7, who’s been out, [Isaiah] Jones, the other Jones, I mean, this team is going to be damn good, and that league, I think, is going to be really good. Now, we didn’t come with the same defensive intensity the first half, and they caused some of it. I thought Jeremy Fears, of all the people, when you talk about a guy that has one basket and really not as many assists as normal — four assists — I thought he won us the game just because of the job he did on [DQ] Cole. And he asked for him at halftime, and I said, ‘Sure.’ And that was the difference in the game. We had some other guys that played pretty well. [Xavier] Booker, of course, came in. Jaxon [Kohler] gets another double-double, which was really big on his part. … I can’t thank our crowd enough, and hopefully Oakland’s crowd too, but the number of people from Michigan State that showed up, that’s why I play it, so people that never see us can see us. And a lot of times, those people don’t get to get into Breslin, and I greatly appreciate it, the way they were.”

Don’t forget to follow the official Spartan Nation Page on Facebook Spartan Nation WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be a part of our vibrant community group Go Green Go White as well WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.

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