Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation Monday to temporarily ban those with domestic violence convictions from possessing and purchasing firearms and ammunition in Michigan.
“These bills are based on a simple idea,” Whitmer said during a bill signing ceremony in Kalamazoo. “If you have been found guilty in court for violently assaulting your partner, you should not be able to access a deadly weapon that you could use to further threaten, harm or kill them.”
She joined the Democratic bill sponsors and advocates of the legislation who shared statistics highlighting the prevalence of firearm homicides by intimate partners and the increased risk to women in domestic violence situations when their abuser has access to a firearm. The bills signed by Whitmer will save lives, they said.
Dr. April Zeoli was onsite for the signing and played a critical role in providing an evidence base for the legislation. She spoke with the Detroit Free Press about the importance of effective implementation of these and other firearm-related laws.