Senator pursues Michigan Firearms Freedom Act — again

This 2014 Tribune file photo shows pistols for sale at Randy's Hunting Center in Bad Axe. This 2014 Tribune file photo shows pistols for sale at Randy's Hunting Center in Bad Axe. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Senator pursues Michigan Firearms Freedom Act — again 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

LANSING — Michigan is a sovereign state that needs to protect Second Amendment rights and do “everything possible” to keep the federal government away from residents’ guns, Sen. Phil Pavlov said.

The St. Clair Republican is reloading a bill that would exempt firearms made in Michigan from “overreaching federal government” regulations.

This week, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved SB 15, which would establish the Michigan Firearms Freedom Act. It aims to prevent federal regulation of firearms — specifically those manufactured and exclusively sold in Michigan and carrying the brand “Made in Michigan.”

Introduced in January, the bill specifies that Michigan, like all states, retains under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution the right to control purely interstate activities for products that are made in Michigan and remain in Michigan without being sold out of state.

The principle, Pavlov says, is that there are powers reserved to the states that allow them to essentially “nullify” or not follow federal laws under such circumstances.

The bill heads to the full Senate for vote.

However, near identical bills Pavlov pursued in the past, both as a senator and representative, didn’t progress toward a vote in either chamber.

“(Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm) was not going to sign it,” Pavlov said of his 2009 House Bill 5232.

He says Gov. Rick Snyder also was not going to sign the 2013 bill, which came in response to proposed new gun regulations and a perceived federal overreach following the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting and a rash of others.

“I’ve been on this issue for a very long time,” Pavlov said.

He says a push to start registering long guns, like shotguns, is “where this is getting scary.”

Pavlov says it’s critical that Michigan joins other states that have passed similar Firearms Freedom Acts. Those that have include Tennessee, Kansas, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Arizona and Alaska.

“We ought to be able to have our own regulatory climate here in our own state,” the senator said.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there are political motives and a bit of symbolism tied to the bill.

“I assure you, if Hillary Clinton is elected, she will begin to dismantle the Second Amendment, and she has said so publicly,” Pavlov said.

CPL applications in Huron County:

Year Received Issued Denied Revoked

2013-14 315 296 1 2

2012-13 394 379 4 1

2011-12 186 166 1 0

2010-11 192 194 2 0

2009-10 248 231 1 0

2008-09 186 184 2 1

2007-08 55 43 3 0

2006-07 42 39 1 5

2005-06 107 96 2 0

2004-05 213 212 1 0

Source: Michigan State Police