LANSING, MI -- A bill introduced in the Michigan legislature aims to keep guns out of terrorists' hands.

A Michigan lawmaker opposing the legislation says it won't keep terrorists away from firearms, but could restrict rights of law-abiding citizens.

Michigan Representative Robert Wittenberg, D-Oak Park, and House Democratic Floor Leader Sam Singh, D-East Lansing, on March 9, introduced House Bill 5443, to prohibit the sale to and possession of firearms by people on the federal Terrorist Watchlist.

Robert Wittenberg

"It is a huge threat to public safety when we allow those who are affiliated with terrorist activities to legally stockpile and own firearms," Wittenberg said.

"I'm introducing this legislation to help prevent those future tragedies and avoid having to face the question of 'What should we have done?' by doing that something now."

Rep. Gary Glenn, R-Midland, opposes the bill and believes it will not have support to move after being referred March 9 to the Committee on Judiciary.

"For all I know, the Obama administration has me on the terrorist watch list," Glenn said, and it could restrict the rights of people who "mistakenly find themselves on the list."

The legislation includes methods of appeal for those who believe they were wrongly put on the list, sponsors say.

Gary Glenn

The legislation won't keep guns out of the wrong hands, either, Glenn believes.

"It will have absolutely have no effect on stopping terrorists or criminals from having guns," Glenn said. "By definition they will ignore any such laws."

Glenn instead believes there will be support for legislation like the Constitutional Carry bill, which he co-sponsors, that would allow people to carry concealed weapons without a permit.

"What we should focus on is empowering law-abiding citizens to respond to that obviously increased threat," he said, such as terrorist attacks.

The Terrorist Screening Center and the FBI maintain the "consolidated Terrorist Watchlist."

It "supports the ability of front line screening agencies to positively identify known or suspected terrorists trying to obtain visas, enter the country, board aircraft, or engage in other activity," according to information from the federal government.

Under current Michigan law, people on the Terrorist Watchlist are not specifically barred from possessing or purchasing firearms and explosives, Wittenberg said.

From 2004 to 2014, more than 2,233 attempted purchases were made from American dealers, and in 91 percent of those purchases, the buyer passed the background check despite being on the Terrorist Watchlist, according to bill sponsors.

"A large majority of not only the general public but of even NRA members agree with this common-sense reform," Singh said.

"If being on a terrorist watch list is cause enough to prevent an individual from getting on an airplane, then it should certainly be a determining factor in whether or not a person can possess a firearm."

Supporters say the state of New Jersey took a step to combat domestic terrorism with similar legislation signed into law in 2013.

In total, there have been 17 terrorist attacks since Sept. 11 in United States, with six resulting in deaths, sponsors said, and all of the fatal attacks involved firearms.

-- Brad Devereaux is a reporter for MLive.com. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.