Photo by Samantha Sophia on Unsplash
Michigan’s Gun Violence Prevention Task Force has called on state lawmakers to ban assault weapons, close a concealed pistol license loophole, and increase the minimum age to purchase guns to 21.
Those are among 39 recommendations included in this week’s final report from the task force Gov. Gretchen Whitmer created last year after a shooting at Michigan State University, charging members to advise her and other state officials “on the root causes and possible solutions for gun violence in Michigan.”
Suicide by firearms, which made up 57% of all firearm-related deaths in Michigan between 2018 and 2023, according to the panel, is emphasized in the report. The panel recommended a number of changes to reduce firearm-related suicides, including giving federal firearms licensees immunity from lawsuits if they store a firearm for someone in crisis who, after returning the gun, goes on to harm themselves. They also recommend expanding the availability of safe storage options and improving data collection around such deaths.While Whitmer, a Democrat, hailed the report and called many of its recommendations ‘common sense,’ many of the recommended measures are sure to face opposition in the Republican-led state House. In June, Speaker Matt Hall refused to even consider a ghost gun ban, which the task force also recommended.