Dear Arthur,
Thank you for contacting me regarding House Bill 4416, House Bill 4417, House Bill 4418, and House Bill 4419. This package of bills was introduced by Reps. Hoitenga (R-102nd), Cole (R-105th), Allor (R-106th), and Hornberger (R-32nd). I strongly believe that we need more common sense gun laws, and this would be a step backwards in stemming the flow of gun violence. It is important that we do all that we can to ensure the safety of all citizens from those who seek to do harm with guns. Sponsors of these bills argue that a person still needs to go through a background check to purchase a weapon. They will also say that you don't need a permit to "open carry" a weapon. There must be reasonable safeguards in place to ensure that only law-abiding citizens have access to a gun. Michigan is a "shall" issue state, so as long as you are not otherwise disqualified you are able to own/buy a gun.
With ownership comes responsibility, and there have to be minimum training and accountability standards. When I took my CPL class, taught by two police officers in my district, they covered various topics, including how to handle a weapon, how to store it safely and how to shoot it properly. Both of my instructors agreed that the training is not sufficient, and they encouraged class members to take additional classes. These are police officers, and they don't think the current level of training is enough, and they are not alone. The State Police, the Michigan Sheriff's Association, the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy (the Prosecutors Attorneys Association of Michigan -did not find this one actually testified) testified against these wrongheaded bills in committee.
Our Constitution and our communities are only as safe as our willingness to protect them. The late Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia, in his Heller opinion (200
, concurred with a majority of his colleagues that just like all amendments to the constitution, there are restrictions on the Second Amendment. There should be. There must be. I urge you to reach out to your State Senators and Governor Snyder to voice your opposition to these bills.
These bills were referred to the House Judiciary Committee. I do not serve on this committee but if the bills come to the floor for a vote, I will oppose them. That being said, we may not always agree on every issue, but it is my job as an elected official to hear the concerns of my constituents.
Again, thank you for contacting me regarding this important issue. If you have any other thoughts or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Robert
Robert Wittenberg
State Representative, 27th District
P.O.Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909
Phone: (517) 373-0478; Toll Free: (855) REP-WITT wittenberg.housedems.com