“Our majority for the people includes kids, too,” said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids). “And far too many of them have experienced devastating grief, fear, trauma, and loss from gun violence. Today’s announcement is a commitment that the legislature will move swiftly to pass effective, common-sense measures that have broad support across our state. We will meet this moment with the leadership and action that our kids deserve.”

The bills introduced in the House parallel those that Senate Democrats put forward last Thursday. The 11 bills fall into three main categories: requiring universal background checks to close the private sale loophole; creating secure storage laws to keep legal firearms out of the hands of children and teens; and establishing extreme risk protection orders, also known as “red flag laws,” which allow the courts to temporarily remove firearms from those who pose a threat to themselves or others.

State Senator Sam Singh, whose 28th District covers much of Shiawassee County had this to say: “Sadly, the trauma of another mass shooting has devastated the people and community I serve and the university I love. But these tragedies don’t have to continue unchecked, and I am committed to listening to the students that are demanding action. These bills are an initial step to better protect the lives of our fellow Michiganders.”

The bills drew support from multiple organizations, including faith leaders, community leaders and gun violence prevention advocates.

“For too long, Michigan’s leaders failed to respond to the call from their communities to enact commonsense, lifesaving legislation. It’s a new day in the Great Lakes State. Its new leaders have met the moment by stepping up and fighting to ensure that firearms don’t fall into the wrong hands,” said Peter Ambler, executive director of the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

“Earlier this week I stood with my peers as we mourned the lives of students shot and killed on our campus,” said Saylor Reinders, a second-year student at Michigan State University and a volunteer with Students Demand Action. “We cannot continue living like this. We thank Michigan lawmakers for standing up and introducing these critical measures. It is time to demand change.”

In the wake of the introduction of the Senate’s slate of gun laws last week the National Rifle Association was predictably condemnatory, describing the prescribed reforms as “(requiring) firearms be made unavailable for self-defense, and (allowing) Second Amendment rights to be suspended without due process,” and urging citizens to contact lawmakers and voice their opposition to the bills.

Still, the bills seem likely to pass as Democrats enjoy a governmental trifecta in Lansing, with control of both chambers of the legislature and the governor’s mansion.

Democrats previously had attempted to enact gun safety reform in the aftermath of the Oxford High School shooting in November 2021, but their bills went nowhere in a Republican-held legislature.