Michigan Constitutional Carry Bill Advances

By Chris Eger

“This legislation simply allows law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” said the bill’s sponsor. “Protecting yourself should not be a criminal activity.” (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
A Michigan bill that would drop the need to get a special license or permit to legally carry a concealed firearm passed a key committee vote this week.
State House Bill 4770 passed out of the House Military, Veterans and Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday. The measure makes a host of changes to Michigan’s weapon laws, the most polarizing of which is to repeal the requirement to have a license to carry a concealed handgun for those not otherwise prohibited from possessing one.
“It’s time we end the restrictions put on those asserting their God-given right to self-defense,” said the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Steve Johnson, R-Wayland. “Constitutional Carry will reduce barriers to our most vulnerable populations and ensure they have the ability to protect themselves and their families.”
Michigan currently requires training, a background check with fingerprints and a $100 application and licensing fee to obtain a concealed pistol license (CPL), a process that can take weeks. The state had 660,920 active CPLs as of August according to statistics from the Crime Prevention Research Center.
Johnson’s measure

Source: Guns.com