opinion

Senator didn't know his own bill

State Sen. Mike Green, R-Mayville, should really be embarrassed.

Asked by Detroit Free Press reporter Paul Egan about a controversial provision of Senate Bill 789, a bill he sponsored, Green apparently didn't know what the legislation said … even after it had been passed and sent to the governor.

We wish we could say this was an anomaly in Lansing. It isn't. Reporters too often find lawmakers can't answer questions about their bills. Too frequently, members of the public are referred to staff when inquiring about the details of proposed laws.

zIt's not just Republicans and not just in Lansing. Then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made big headlines with her infamous quote during the Affordable Care Act debate: "But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what's in it." She should have been embarrassed, too.

Senate Bill 789 is no small change. Its purpose is to eliminate county gun boards and make Michigan a true "shall-issue" state for concealed weapons permits.

The provision that has attracted the attention of victims'-rights advocates is one that would eliminate a ban on permits for people who have a personal protection order against them.

That was the part Green was unaware of. Initially, he told the reporter it was his understanding people subject to PPOs would not be able to obtain concealed weapons permits under his bill.

"After checking with his office, Green said some gun-rights groups felt the existence of a PPO by itself should not exclude someone from getting a permit, provided no firearm restriction is part of the court order," Egan wrote in his story.

Getting rid of PPOs as a reason to reject a concealed weapons permit application is a really bad idea. PPOs are one of the best tools that victims of domestic violence have to defend themselves from their abusers. PPOs put the police on notice that an abusive situation is happening, and it gives them the ability to arrest if the abuser won't leave the victim alone.

Advocates of Green's bill note that a PPO is not a conviction. True enough, and certainly some unjustified PPOs have been filed.

But already, PPOs are easy enough to contest in Michigan. You don't need a lawyer. The subject of a PPO can file a motion to the court, and both subject and filer have an opportunity to go before a judge and explain what's going on. The judge can amend or toss out the PPO in that hearing.

That is where the question of whether an alleged abuser should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon should be decided, not in a blanket fashion in poorly read legislation.

The provision in the bill to eliminate county gun boards is itself no minor change. That's a change that should be fully debated and considered by the Legislature, not something to be treated as a bargaining chip in a late-night session of the Legislature to win a vote for a road funding proposal.

Gov. Rick Snyder should veto Senate Bill 789.

And lawmakers should learn to read the bills they pass.

They should know the ones they sponsor like the back of their hands.