Buying, selling, or putting together a gun without a serial number could become a crime in Michigan under bills that passed the state Senate Thursday night.
The bills take aim at so-called “ghost guns” that can often come in kits or be made from 3-D printed parts.
Package sponsor state Senator Mallory McMorrow (D-Royal Oak) says the bills are a longtime coming.
“Back in 2016, the feds recovered around 1,500 ghost guns in criminal investigations. That has skyrocketed to more than 20,000. And less than 1% of those firearms can be traced back to their original owner,” McMorrow told reporters after the vote.
Under the bills, a first offense would count as a misdemeanor and could lead to a maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine and a one-year prison sentence. Following offenses would be felonies that carry up to a five-year, $10,000 sentence.
The bills include exceptions for antique or permanently inoperable firearms, and guns made or bought for law enforcement or other official purposes.
The issue of ghost guns has been in the news lately with police alleging one was used in the recent high profile killing of a health insurance CEO in New York.
McMorrow referenced the crime while speaking with reporters about the need for her legislation in Michigan.
“What is to prevent somebody from assembling a kit-gun from parts that you can find online or, as we saw in the murder, 3D printing a gun and manufacturing something that you can attach a silencer to and becomes much more dangerous,” she said.
Still, the bills passed on party lines, with the narrow Democratic majority supporting them.
Senator Joe Bellino (R-Monroe) said the state needs to better enforce existing laws rather than write new ones.
“Instead of cracking down on criminals, this bill is another attempt to infringe upon the rights of law abiding citizens who responsibly exercise their Second Amendment rights,” he said during a floor speech.
A state Senate committee approved the legislation earlier this week.
The Senate Thursday night also voted to ban bump stock devices, like the one used in a mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, that can allow semi-automatic guns to fire rapidly with one continuous press of the trigger.
The bills still have an uphill battle to become law.
They need to get past the Michigan House on their way to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s desk. And there’s only about one week left scheduled in the 2023-2024 legislative session.
Next year, Republicans unlikely to support the gun legislation will take control of the House.
