Mayors and other local officials were at the state Capitol Monday to urge lawmakers not to lift some of Michigan's restrictions on gun ownership.
Mayors and other local officials were at the state Capitol Monday to urge lawmakers not to lift some of Michigan's restrictions on gun ownership. Legislation up for a vote as soon as this week would eliminate state background checks and licenses for people who buy guns from private owners.
Background checks are already required by federal law when people buy from dealers.
Flint Mayor Dayne Walling says his city has seen record murders three years in a row. He blames a “toxic mix” of economic desperation, social breakdown, and easy access to guns.
"So, if the economy gets worse, my concern is that we get an even higher number of homicides, dangerous shootings, and armed violence," says Walling.
But supporters of the legislation say state law currently makes it too difficult for people to buy firearms for self-defense.