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Friday, April 13, 2012

SB59 Being Debated In MI State Senate Now - Contact Your Senator NOW!!!


This bill will provide for concealed carry in pistol free zones (among other things).


"Under the legislation, permit holders would be allowed to carry guns in the so-called “pistol-free zones” if they undergo an extra nine hours of training beyond the current eight.
They also would have to fire an extra 94 rounds at the range beyond the 98 the legislation requires for a basic permit. Just 30 rounds are required now."
Gun on his hip, state Sen. Arlan Meekhof demonstrates his support for allowing concealed handguns in schools and other public places | MLive.com
I am urging everyone to contact their Michigan State Senator to urge them to vote for an amended version of SB 59.  As you can see above, this bill would permit CPL holders to concealed carry (CC) in a "pistol free" zone if they take additional class hours, fire nearly three more boxes of ammo, and then REQUEST an exception to "pistol free" zones.  Someone with a CPL who chooses to open carry (OP) in a "pistol free" zone, however, may do so without any additional class hours or anything else required in this bill.  This is fundamentally discriminatory under the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution, places an undue burden on those who have a Constitutional Right to CC in these areas, and is a violation of the recent federal district court (Maryland) ruling which states that the mere existence of the right in the Second Amendment (also stated in the Michigan Constitution) is all the justification we need to exercise our right to carry; legislation adding requirements to this right amounts to "rationing" of the right (Judge Legg, Woollard v. Sheridan, 2012).


We need to flood the offices of our state senators (Michigan legislature) with calls/emails/faxes urging them to amend SB 59 to eliminate the additional requirements and to establish OC/CC parity with regard to the right to carry in so-called "gun free" zones in Michigan.  Links to the Michigan State Legislative Directory can be found in the right column of this blog.


There is no time to lose.

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