Several controversial gun bills cleared a state House committee Tuesday.
The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher has more.
One measure would get rid of county gun boards. Those are panels made up mostly of local law enforcement officials which approve or reject concealed pistol licenses.
Representative Jeff Irwin is the top Democrat on the committee and opposes the bills. He says sometimes local officials know an applicant isn’t fit to carry a concealed weapon – even if they don’t have a criminal record.
“By eliminating the local gun boards, we’re losing that important and effective local check and balance,” he says.
Supporters of the measure say the gun boards have unfairly discriminated against applicants in the past.