By: José Niño
On August 16, 2023, members of the Michigan State Capitol Commission unanimously voted in favor of new security regulations that would prohibit guns at the Capitol in Lansing. Only elected officials with concealed weapons permits are exempt from this regulation.
During a meeting on July 31, the commission put forward language for a weapons prohibition that would ban “firearms, explosives or other items that pose a threat to security that are not reasonably necessary,” in the Capitol building.
Commissioner Tim Bowlin was able to successfully tack on an amendment to the proposed security regulations which would grant current members of the Michigan State House and State Senate, who possess concealed pistol licenses (CPLs), the ability to carry their weapons inside the Capitol building.
The commission approved the regulation by a 4-2 vote. State Capitol Commission Chair William Kandler and Vice Chair Joan Bauer were the two sole opponents of the amendment.
“I’ve been opposed to that concept from the beginning. I just don’t see the need for it,” Kandler said to reporters following the meeting.
“That language will allow potentially up to an additional 150 guns in the Capitol building. … I just don’t think that’s appropriate,” Kandler added.
“This commission has the authority, and as our chair often says, the responsibility to be sure that the people in this building — visitors, staff, hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren — are safe,” Bauer stated.
On top of the exemption for politicians who have CPLs, these new regulations allow on-duty employees of private security companies that contract with the state government to provide protection to state officials, and on-duty employees of the Michigan Supreme Court or the Michigan Court of Appeals to carry a concealed handgun if they possess a valid CPL and have employer authorization to carry a firearm.
The ban is not applicable to members of Capitol security, law policy officers, and other on-duty state security employees.
This ban highlights the true nature of gun control — a separation between the elites and the peasantry. Only political elites are allowed to arm themselves and/or enjoy expensive private security services, while the rest of the population must be disarmed and be left defenseless in the face of criminals and tyrannical governments.
Gun controllers got a small win here. While it may seem trivial, it’s a stepping stone towards a much broader goal. This gun ban logic will soon be extended to other venues and eventually encompass the broader society if the gun control crowd is not put in its place.
Gun Control Inc. understands that it must play the long game in order to subvert the right to bear arms. This will consist of passing gradualist measures and other forms of gun control that could sandbag into massive gun grabs further down the line.
In response, the Right must be ready to derail all forms of gun control legislation that pop up at the local and state level. The more gun control measures that get rejected the easier it will be to not only uphold our freedoms but also advance pro-gun reforms.
José Niño is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. Contact him via Facebook, Twitter, or email him at [email protected]. Get his e-book, The 10 Myths of Gun Control, here. Subscribe to his Substack newsletter here.