(Kyle Mattson | MLive.com)

Lawmakers are mulling lots of gun bills

Did the bills to allow concealed carry in schools take you by surprise this week? They're actually some of quite a few bills on guns pending in the Michigan Legislature.

House Republicans outlined “defending second amendment rights” as one of their priorities for the 2017-2018 session. Senate Republicans, too have introduced a number of related bills, and more could crop up from either side in the future.

But for now, here's what's pending:

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Permitless concealed carry

Legislation pending in the Senate Government Operations Committee would let Michigan gun owners carry concealed weapons without needing a concealed weapon permit.

The bills are sponsored by Republican Reps. Michele Hoitenga, R-Manton; Pamela Hornberger, R-Chesterfield Twp.; Sue Allor, R-Wolverine; and Triston Cole, R-Mancelona.

"It is currently legal in the state of Michigan for a law-abiding person to openly carry a firearm on their person without any training classes, fees or state bureaucracy," said Hoitenga. "It only becomes illegal when a person puts on a coat, because the gun then becomes concealed. One millimeter of clothing makes the difference between a criminal act and a legal act."

Opponents have criticized the bills, questioning whether they would allow people barred from getting a concealed carry license to carry concealed weapons anyway.

The House passed the bills in June, and since then they've been stuck in the Government Operations Committee. Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, who controls the committee, said in September the timing wasn't right to run the bills.

Rep. Pete Lucido, R-Shelby Township, also has a pair of bills that would eliminate the licensing requirement for people over 21 and not otherwise prohibited from carrying a firearm, House Bills 4003 and 4004.

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(Chris Clark | MLive.com)

Letting 18 to 20-year-olds concealed carry

The current age for getting a Concealed Pistol License is 21, but senate bill 366, passed by the Michigan Senate on Wednesday, would allow Michigan 18 to 20-year-olds to obtain a provisional license to carry a concealed weapon.

Bill sponsor Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, said earlier this year 18 to 20-year-olds already handle guns in military and police training, and this would allow them to concealed carry.

"This is a responsible bill that will require 18- to 20-year-olds to abide by the current training and background requirements for obtaining a Concealed Pistol License," Schmidt said.

"It will make sure younger people are ready to conceal carry, as they are currently allowed by law to possess and open carry a fire arm."

The bill is opposed by the groups Physicians Preventing Gun Violence and Moms demand action.

It passed 26-11 with the Senate Democrats voting against it. It's now pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

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Letting foster parents own guns

A recent lawsuit has drawn attention to the intersection of foster parents and gun rights.

Potential foster parents argue in a lawsuit their gun rights are being infringed upon by the state, which allows foster parents to own guns but requires they be stored securely and out of reach for children. That includes keeping them in a locked place, locking up ammunition separately, locking the trigger and registering the handgun.

Multiple bills look to address the issue:

- Senate Bill 527, from Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, includes standards for gun storage by foster parents and allows foster parents to carry a gun on their person in the presence of a child. But passing it sends a signal to the Department of Health and Human Services, too, that they shouldn't be denying people as foster parents because they own guns.

"I think the Department of (Health and) Human Services should be very careful with the fact that they perceive that issue as a reason not to let people have foster kids. They're good parents, that's not reason to judge them," Casperson said.

- House Bill 4995, from Rep. Holly Hughes, R-Montague, would prohibit the department from taking legal gun ownership into account when placing children in foster care or adoptive homes.

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Lawmakers on the Senate Government Operations Committee take testimony on a bill to allow concealed weapons in schools. (Emily Lawler | MLive.com)

Allowing concealed carry in schools & other places

Senate Bills 584-586, passed by the full Senate on Wednesday along partisan lines, allow people with extra training to concealed carry in places like schools, day care centers, stadiums and bars.

Those areas are traditionally considered gun-free zones, but a loophole in the law allows open carry there. These bills swap that -- open carry would be banned in those areas, but people could get eight extra hours of training and be allowed to concealed carry there.

Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, said "I truly believe that law-abiding, licensed citizens should be able to exercise their right and responsibility" to concealed carry.

But it's met opposition from Democrats, who have labeled it the "pistols in preschools" legislation.

It passed the Senate and is now under consideration in the House. But if it makes it to Gov. Rick Snyder, it may hit a snag in obtaining his signature: he vetoed similar legislation in 2012, and told MLive this week his position hadn't changed.

Rep. Gary Glenn, R-Midland, has legislation that would also change carry laws by completely repealing the traditionally gun-free zones like churches, schools, movie theaters, sports stadiums and day cares and letting both concealed and open carry guns in those places. That bill is House Bill 4565.

And Rep. Steven Johnson, R-Wayland, has legislation that would take some, but not all, of the gun-free zones out of law. House Bill 4568 would allow the carrying of guns in child care centers, sports arenas, churches or entertainment facilities but keep the ban on concealed weapons in schools, bars and dorms. It would also make other revisions to the gun laws.

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Eliminating pistol registration

Rep. Lee Chatfield's house bill 4554 would eliminate the requirement that Michiganders register their pistols.

Michigan is one of only six states to require registration, Chatfield said earlier this year.

“Criminals don't register handguns they misuse for wrong, so what we end up with is a list that intrudes on the civil liberties of honest gun owners exercising their constitutional right to defend their families," Chatfield said.

The bill is pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

Read more about the bill here.

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Banning carrying in police stations

Rep. Abdullah Hammoud, D-Dearborn, introduced a bill to limit the carrying of weapons in police stations after two men, one masked, walked into a Dearborn police station with guns.

He said earlier this year that fortunately the police were able to deescalate that situation, but his bill would prevent it in the future. Under his House bill 4560, a person couldn't carry a gun into a police station that posted a sign banning firearms, unless they were there to relinquish it.

"For me this is an issue, it’s a public safety bill," Hammoud said.

The bill is pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

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(Jeff Schrier | MLive.com)

Banning local gun laws

Any local government that passed a local gun control ordinance would have 60 days to bring it into compliance with state law under Rep. Gary Howell's, R-North Branch, House bill 4616. If it didn't happen a resident could either bring a legal action in circuit court or file a complaint with the Attorney General.

Courts could level fines of up to $7,500 for local officials who knowingly and willfully enacted or enforced the ordinance.

It passed the House on a 69-39 vote and is currently pending in the Senate Government Operations Committee.

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Penalties for making guns accessible to minors

Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor, is the sponsor of a bill that would establish penalties for storing or leaving a firearm where it is accessible to a minor.

To make it inaccessible under Senate bill 293, an owner would have to keep it in a locked container, keep it in a location that a reasonable person would believe was secure or lock the firearm.

Not doing so could be a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on how the minor displayed or used the gun.

The bill is pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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Letting people with personal protection orders carry in more places

House Bill 4268, sponsored by Rep. Tim Kelly, R-Saginaw, allows certain individuals with a personal protection order to concealed carry in some zones where it's normally not allowed.

The bill is pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

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An armory is pictured. (Chelsea Purgahn | MLive.com file)

Allowing more arms at military facilities

House Bill 4413, introduced by Rep. Pamela Hornberger, R-Chesterfield Twp., would require military facilities like armories in Michigan to have one member of the active service armed at the location "for the purpose of protecting himself or herself and others."

The bill is pending in the House Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs.

House Bill 4474, from Rep. Gary Glenn, R-Midland, would allow a CPL holder to possess a concealed weapon on the premises of an armory or other building controlled by the state's Adjutant General. It passed the House 103-5 and is pending before the full Senate.

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Changing personal protection orders

House Bills 4706 and 4707, sponsored by Rep. Robert Wittenberg, D-Westland, would let courts issue an "extreme risk protection order" if an individual posed a significant risk of personal injury to himself or others by possessing a firearm. If issued, the individual could not purchase or possess a firearm.

House Bill 5250, from Rep. Erika Geiss, D-Taylor, would require some people under personal protection orders to relinquish their guns.

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(MLive.com file photo)

Letting places prohibit open carry

House Bill 4710, from Rep. Jim Ellison, D-Royal Oak, would allow current gun-free zones like schools, day care centers and bars to ban open carry on their properties.

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Letting certain people carry in gun-free zones

A few proposals around this idea:

- House Bill 4838, from Rep. Daire Rendon, R-Lake City, would allow qualified retired law enforcement officers to concealed carry in areas like schools, sports arenas, movie theaters and dorms that are considered gun-free zones now (though a loophole allows people to open carry there.) It's pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

- House Bill 4842, from Rep. Jim Tedder, R-Clarkston, would allow medical first responders and firefighters to concealed carry in those gun-free zones. It's pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

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Exempting some people from needing a license for pistols

House Bill 4876, sponsored by Rep. Triston Cole, R-Mancelona, would add to the list of people who don't have to obtain a license to purchase, carry, possess or transport a pistol in Michigan.

Now a spouse, family member, or guest or a person licensed to possess a pistol wouldn't need a licensed if they're in that licensed person's domicile. And a person who has previously been approved, permitted or licensed in Michigan wouldn't need to obtain a license either.

It's currently pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

House Bill 4970, meanwhile from Rep. Michele Hoitenga, R-Manton, would eliminate the requirement that a person get a license to concealed carry for members of the armed forces reserves and people honorably discharged from a military branch.

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