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House Bills 4127 and 4128 are scheduled to be taken up by the Senates Elections and Ethics Committee tomorrow, Wednesday, February 7 at 3:00 PM. These bills have already passed the Michigan House on a party line vote of 56-53 last November. We anticipate they will be considered by the full Senate soon. MCRGO opposes the bills.

House Bill 4127 prohibits the possession of firearms at or within 100 feet of a polling place during election day. The bill also prohibits firearms possession at early voting sites beginning on the second Saturday before an election and ending on the Sunday before the election, and within 100 feet of an absent voter ballot drop box for 40 days before an election. The full analysis can be found HERE.

Consider the impact of this bill on legal carry outside the home. Many ballot drop boxes are located curbside within 100 feet of roads, streets, and sidewalks. There are several dozens of these drop boxes in each county. Kent County, for example, has 42 ballot drop boxes. Other than perhaps the one closest to your home, you likely are not aware of others you walk past while carrying for self-defense.

House Bill 4127 would make it a misdemeanor with up to 90 days imprisonment to otherwise legally carry an exposed firearm within 100 feet of a ballot drop box within 40 days of an election. Michigan has three regular election dates per year plus presidential primaries and special elections. That's at least one third of the year, every year, that these roads, streets, sidewalks, libraries, local government buildings, and adjacent businesses would be off limits to legal defensive carry outside the home unless the firearm is concealed or in a vehicle.

Michigan law already prohibits brandishing a firearm in public. Brandish is defined in MCL 750.222 as "to point, wave about, or display in a threatening manner with the intent to induce fear in another person."

If the intent of these bills is truly to prevent harassment and intimidation at polling places and ballot counting locations the bills would focus on brandishing at these locations. Instead, they target legal self-defense in general through a ban on simple possession of firearms including lawful open carry with or without a CPL.

Representatives of the following entities testified in opposition to the bills (2-28-23):

• Great Lakes Gun Rights
• Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners
• Michigan Open Carry Inc.
• Pure Integrity for Michigan Elections

MCRGO Polling Place Gun Ban Update - 3/4/2024

House Bills 4127 and its companion HB 4128 passed the full Senate last week on a 20-18 party line vote and were returned to the Michigan House of Representative for concurrence. These bills already passed the Michigan House on a party line vote of 56-53 last November. They did not receive immediate effect in the Senate.

The legislation prohibits the possession of firearms within 100 feet of a polling place during election day. The legislation also prohibits firearms possession within 100 feet of early voting sites, within 100 feet of clerks' offices within 40 days before an election, and within 100 feet of an absentee voter ballot drop box for 40 days before an election. The updated analysis as passed the Senate can be found HERE.

Several changes were made to the legislation since it was originally introduced that makes it less burdensome. Concealed pistol license holders carrying concealed are exempted. Peace officers, whether on duty or off, are exempted. Private property owners and their guests within the 100' perimeter are exempted. Lawful transportation and possession of a firearm in a vehicle is exempted.

MCRGO remains opposed to the bills. While the bills are now intended to focus only on open carry, they would also subject CPL holders with a fully or partially exposed firearm to a 90 day misdemeanor, even if the exposure, otherwise legal in Michigan, is unintentional as is common in the warmer months. The legislation intends to treat the constitutionally protected act of open carry as brandishing, contradicting Michigan's MCL 750.222 which defines brandishing as "to point, wave about, or display in a threatening manner with the intent to induce fear in another person."

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~ Elections Have Consequences ~
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With the federal courts offering lukewarm protection to the Second Amendment, anti-gun politicians are attempting an end run around legal gun control obstacles through taxes.

Michigan State Representative Cynthia Johnson (D-Detroit) has proposed a 10% excise tax on ammunition, already selling at inflated rates due to scarcity. We can anticipate more firearms related excise tax proposals in the 2021-2022 Michigan Legislative Session.

Firearms dealer licensing and manufacturing fees are increasingly being proposed in many states. And Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has called for a $200 federal registration fee for popular semi-automatic rifles like the AR-15 as well as a $200 federal tax stamp for every magazine that could hold more than 10 rounds.

In a September 9, 2020 article, Ammoland reports: "In 1819, Chief Justice John Marshall of the U.S. Supreme Court famously wrote: 'the power to tax involves the power to destroy ….' This truism has not been lost on firearm prohibitionists, who when unable to ban guns outright have often tried to tax them out of reach of the average citizen."

The result of such taxes would make legal self-defense, particularly concealed carry, even more unaffordable to many middle class and economically disadvantaged people.
History has taught us this will lead to a proliferation in blackmarket sales and corresponding increase in crime.

Elections Have Consequences

People often say, with pride, 'I'm not interested in politics.' They might as well say, 'I'm not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future.' ... If we mean to keep any control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics. ~ Martha Gellhorn 20th Century War Correspondent

Our Founding Father Benjamin Franklin penned these words;
“Rebellion Against Tyrants is Obedience to God”

The phrase “Rebellion Against Tyrants is Obedience to God” is a potent proclamation that embodies the principles of liberty and freedom, especially within a Christian context. It implies that the quest for freedom, even if it necessitates rebellion against oppressive regimes, is not merely a human endeavor, but a divine directive. This compelling assertion emphasizes the notion that tyranny is in direct contradiction with God’s will, and thus, resistance against such oppression is an act of obedience to God. It serves as a moral beacon, guiding individuals and societies towards the path of justice and liberty. In a Christian nation, this sentiment deeply resonates as it aligns with Christian teachings that champion freedom, dignity, and respect for all individuals. Therefore, this phrase is not just a rallying cry against tyranny, but also a profound theological affirmation that underscores the sanctity of freedom and the divine obligation to preserve it.