Democrats push ban on 'deceptively colored firearms' amid flurry of lame duck gun bills

Democrats push ban on 'deceptively colored firearms' amid flurry of lame duck
gun bills - The Midwesterner

Victor Skinner

Michigan Democrats are rushing to approve top priorities before Republicans take
over in January, including purging the state of pink pistols.

Sen. Dayna Polehanki, D-Livonia, introduced Senate Bill 1134 on Tuesday to ban
the sale, purchase, transfer, ownership, possession and transport of "a
deceptively colored firearm."

"An individual who violates this section or any rule promulgated under this
section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than
1 year or a fine of not more than $500," the legislation reads.

The term "deceptively colored firearm" is defined by SB 1134 as "a firearm of
which a substantial portion of the exterior surface is any color other than
black, brown, dark grey, dark green, silver, steel, or nickel."

The bill would further outlaw "covert firearms" that are designed to look like
something else, as well as "deceptive coloring products" that are "intended to
be used alone or in combination with another product to modify a firearm to make
it a deceptively colored firearm."

Firearms would be considered deceptive if more than half of the exterior surface
is not one of the specified colors.

Residents who possess firearms that are "deceptively colored" or made to look
like common items, such as pens or cell phones before the effective day of the
legislation would be allowed to keep them.

Anyone who acquires the same "by operation of law" after the effective date
would have two weeks to turn it over to the Michigan State Police or modify the
weapon to comply with the law.

SB 1134 would take effect 90 days after it is enacted.

Brenden Boudreau, executive director of Great Lakes Gun Rights, expressed his
group's opposition to the bill.

"This is again Democrats . searching for a problem that doesn't really exist,"
he said, noting there's only one example he's aware of involving a "deceptively
colored firearm." "They govern by hysteria."

The legislation is among several gun related bills that Democrats hope to
approve before Republicans regain majority control of the Michigan House in
January. Lawmakers are not expected to return to Lansing until Dec. 3, one of
only 10 scheduled days remaining in the current session.

"The priority wish list during lame duck is long, and time is short," Jess
Travers, spokeswoman for House Democrats, told Bridge Michigan, adding there's
"hopeful optimism" that gun restrictions will be approved in the waning days.

"In fact, it is very likely that firearm violence prevention legislation will be
part of the remaining weeks of this year."

Other pending gun restrictions include Senate bills 857 and 858, to ban firearms
in the Michigan Capitol, as well as House and Senate office buildings. That
legislation initially included a provision that would also have banned concealed
weapons in thousands of places like churches, sports arenas, grocery stores, and
gas stations that was removed amid heated backlash during a committee meeting
last week.

There's also a pending three bill package that aims to remove civil protections
for firearm manufacturers in Michigan, which would open those manufacturers to
liability for crimes committed with their products, Bridge reports.

The bill package, sponsored by Canton Democratic Rep. Ranjeev Puri, who is
slated to serve as House Minority Leader next year, would also require anyone
selling a firearm product to deny sales to anyone they "believe is at
substantial risk of using a firearm-related product to harm . or unlawfully harm
another."

Polehanki has also sponsored legislation to ban bump stocks in Michigan, despite
a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down a federal ban earlier this year.

Other Democrats also want to ban "ghost guns" without serial numbers, require
state police to destroy guns from buyback programs, create no sell lists for
suicidal residents, and allow Medicaid dollars to be used for gun violence
prevention efforts.

Sen. Kelly Breen, D-Novi, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, told Bridge
Democrats are focused on "what is going to have an impact," and she predicts
legislation on civil liabilities for gun manufacturers and ghost guns "are
likely, I think, to succeed."

Sen. Stephane Chang, D-Detroit, who chairs the upper chamber's Civil Rights,
Judiciary, and Public Safety Committee said she's "definitely hoping to take up"
the bump stock bill.

Republicans, meanwhile, are expected to strongly oppose the gun bills most view
as unconstitutional and ineffective.

"If this is what you've got to do to appeal to your donor base, and you feel
that being unconstitutional is going to appeal to your donor base - go ahead,"
state Rep. Phil Green, R-Millington, told Bridge.

"We know that it has no impact on crime," he said, "and we know that it has no
impact in creating public safety."

https://www.themidwesterner.news/2024/11/democrats-push-ban-on-deceptively-colored-firearms-amid-flurry-of-lame-duck-gun-bills/