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Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder

(AP Photo | Al Goldis)

LANSING, MI — Gov. Rick Snyder on Thursday vetoed legislation that would have overhauled the concealed pistol permit application process in Michigan, citing a provision he said could jeopardize existing protections for domestic abuse victims.

Senate Bill 789 and 790, backed by the National Rifle Association but opposed by prominent gun control groups, would have lifted a blanket restriction preventing the subject of any personal protection order from obtaining a CPL.

The legislation would have limited that restriction to PPOs including specific language barring the subject from purchasing or possessing a firearm.

“We simply can’t and won’t take the chance of exposing domestic abuse victims to additional violence or intimidation,” Snyder said in a statement.

“There are certainly some reforms that can improve the way Michigan issues concealed pistol licenses and we support the rights of law-abiding firearm owners, but it’s crucial that we leave in place protections for people who already have endured challenges and abuse.”

The bills, sponsored by Sen. Mike Green, R-Mayville, sought to streamline the process for obtaining a CPL by eliminating county gun boards and shifting responsibilities to county clerks, sheriffs and state police. Supporters said the change would have made Michigan a true "shall issue" state.

The Republican governor, in a veto letter to lawmakers, said the legislation included "a number of reforms I support" and indicated that he looked forward to working with the Legislature on the issue in the new session, which formally began Wednesday.

Green, noting that he was “pretty disappointed” in the veto, said his office has already been drafting new bills to reintroduce this session because he was not sure what the governor was going to do.

“There were some changes made to it right at the end, but the state police were always comfortable,” Green said. “But obviously the governor was not.”

Gun control groups that had urged Snyder to veto the legislation, including Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, applauded Thursday’s action. Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who was critically wounded in a 2011 shooting and later co-founded Americans for Responsible Solutions, thanked Snyder for “doing the responsible thing” and “standing up for common sense.”

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, who had shared a personal story earlier this week in a letter asking Snyder to veto the bill, said the action “most certainly saved the lives” of many women and children in Michigan.

“This wasn’t a partisan issue, but one that affects all women and families in our state,” Dingell said in a statement. “Every child deserves to feel safe and every woman deserves to be able to live and work in a community without fear that she may be stalked or hurt.”

The legislation was approved by Michigan's Republican-led House during the final days of last year’s lame-duck session, winning some Democratic support in a 84-26 vote. The final version had passed the Senate 26-12 along straight party lines.

The NRA, which was urging the governor to sign SB 789, has argued that the PPO provisions were mischaracterized. Individuals convicted or charged with domestic violence would not have been allowed to obtain CPLs, and the NRA noted those applying for PPOs would have qualified for an expedited CPL for self-defense.

“The statements being made by anti-gun groups about this bill are factually incorrect," Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement.

"The legislation does not expose victims of domestic abuse to any additional risks of violence. The fact is that this bill would have provided victims of domestic violence increased protections against would-be abusers, while protecting our constitutional rights of self-defense and due process.”

Snyder, who has a mixed record on gun bills, vetoed a broader version of the CPL legislation in 2012 shortly after a mass school shooting in Connecticut. That bill concerned the governor because it would have also allowed individuals with extra training to carry concealed weapons in so-called "gun-free" zones.

Jonathan Oosting is a Capitol reporter for MLive Media Group. Email him, find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.