LANSING, MI – A proposed law that would require 3D print firearms, or “ghost guns,” to have serial numbers is on its way to the Michigan Senate floor for a vote.
The state senate’s civil Rights, judiciary and public safety committee approved Senate Bill 1149 in a vote of 5-2 during its meeting Tuesday, Dec. 10, in Lansing.
All five of the committee’s Democratic senators voted in favor of the bill while Republican committee senators Jim Runestad and Ruth Johnson voted against it.
Senator Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, first introduced the bill in November. During the committee meeting she highlighted that a ghost gun was used in the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City.
“What makes these firearms so dangerous are not the gun aspect, but the ghost,” McMorrow said. “Unlike traditional firearms, these can be purchased or created without background checks by people with no training on firearms and be untraceable by law enforcement.”
In 2016, the FBI recorded 1,758 ghost guns were recovered in criminal investigations. Four years later, in 2020, the number exploded to nearly 20,000 recovered, McMorrow said.
“This (bill) does not ban guns, but prohibits firearms from being ghosts,” she said.
If fully passed, the law would require 3D-printed gun to have a serial number added to them by a federally license firearms dealer within 10 days of being created. Antique and unusable decommissioned firearms are excluded from the rule.
Violating the law would be a one-year misdemeanor on first offense and a five-year felony on second offense.
Denise Week testified at the meeting in favor of the bill, telling committee members how her son’s then 17-year-old best friend bought a ghost gun online with no restrictions and used it to shoot her son in the face.
“He (The friend) was never asked for ID and he put it together watching YouTube videos. I never thought anything like this would happen,” she said, thankful her son survived the shooting.
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While the bill passed through the committee, it was not without opposition from several speaker in attendance arguing the proposed law is unconstitutional and would do nothing to stop criminal activity.
“We oppose these bills. They are a solution in search of a problem,” said Tom Lambert, an attorney representing Michigan Open Carry. “Making an illegal activity more illegal won’t change anything.”
Lambert, along with a representative with the National Rifle Association, testified the law would only serve as a burden to law-abiding citizens and would make thousands of guns independently crafted by citizens illegal.
“As an attorney, I hope you pass this (bill). I will take personal pleasure when this gets struck down and the state has to write a check for violating the rights of individuals,” Lambert said.