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Guest Commentary: June 20, 2001
Michigan Courts Should Allow Gun-Control Referendum to Proceed
The Honorable Carl Levin
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On New Years Day 2001, the Governor of Michigan signed into law a bill to take discretion away from local gun boards to issue concealed gun licenses and require authorities to issue concealed weapons licenses to any one 21 years or older without a criminal record, with limited exceptions.
Under the law, the number of concealed handgun licenses in our State would grow by 200,000 to 300,000 a ten-fold increase. Needless to say, the law has the potential to increase gun violence in Michigan and endanger the lives of thousands of people. I strongly believe that this law is better suited to the old West than the new millennium.
I am pleased to report that hundreds of thousands of my fellow Michiganders agree with me. While the law was scheduled to take effect on July 1st of this year, a coalition of law enforcement and community groups from across our State called the People Who Care About Kids collected 232,582 signatures on a petition to suspend the law and put it before the voters in 2002. One of those signatures was mine.
Now the issue is before the courts. Just last month, a State Appeals Court ruled unanimously that the referendum process should proceed. And [on June 13] the Michigan Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the Appeals Court ruling should stand. For the good of my State and for the safety of its citizens, I hope that the Supreme Court upholds the lower court ruling and lets the voters decide the issue.
If voters are given the opportunity, I am confident that this wrongheaded effort to roll back Michigan's gun laws will be defeated.
Note: This column has been adapted from a speech Sen. Levin delivered on the floor of the Senate, June 14, 2001.
 How to contact Senator Carl Levin (D-Michigan)
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