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Theis: New legislation would repeal state’s pistol registry

Bills recently introduced in the state Senate would repeal Michigan’s pistol registry and require law enforcement to destroy all associated records.


“Law-abiding Michigan residents have a constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” said Sen. Lana Theis, R-Brighton. “The government has no right or need to know whether a law-abiding adult owns a pistol and legal gun owners should not have to register their firearms with the state. This legislation would help restore our natural rights as citizens of this country by repealing Michigan’s pistol registry and requiring law enforcement to destroy all records thereof.”


Senate Bills 646-648, sponsored by Sen. Tom Barrett and Theis, would eliminate the pistol registry from state law. It would also require the state police and sheriffs and heads of police from each county, township, city and village throughout Michigan to destroy, within six months of the bills’ enactment, all records held by or under the control of those departments that were received, compiled, or retained under the pistol registry law.


The legislation would not apply to a record or copy of a record that is being held as evidence in a criminal prosecution or civil proceeding that was initiated and pending before the bills are enacted. However, such records would be required to be destroyed within 30 days after they are no longer being held for such purposes.


Additionally, every police department would be required to produce a report for the Senate and House of Representatives that it has complied with the legislation’s requirements within 30 days of the six-month window to destroy records. Reports must also be produced each year by Jan. 1 verifying the number of records and copies of records retained by or destroyed by a department related to the aforementioned criminal investigations and legal proceedings during that year, until all of those records and copies of records are destroyed.


SBs 646-648 were referred to the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee for consideration.


Theis previously introduced legislation that would make Michigan a constitutional carry state by repealing the current requirement that law-abiding adults obtain a concealed pistol license.

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