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The Michigan Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety Committee will take up Senate Bills 857 and 858 in lame duck session this Thursday, November 14 at noon. This legislation would make concealed carry in Michigan extremely difficult by greatly expanding the number of gun free zones.
On the surface, these bills appear to extend bans on legal carry to the Michigan State Capitol, the Binsfield Senate Office Building, and the Anderson House Office Building.
With the Michigan House of Representatives switching back to a Republican majority in 2025-2026, placing these bans now in statutory law would prevent Republicans from reversing them next year as Democrats will continue to hold control of the Michigan Senate and the governor's office through the end of 2026. However, the language in the bills goes much further.
Anyone who has taken a concealed pistol license class in Michigan should remember that Michigan has two laws that impose pistol free zones. MCL 28.425o includes a list of locations where concealed pistol license holders may not carry a concealed weapon. The other law, MCL 750.234d, contain an older list of gun free zones. This second law exempts concealed pistol license holders.
While there is some overlap between the two laws, MCL 750.234d is the more restrictive of two. For example, it makes financial institutions gun free zones. It lacks the permission exception for places of religious worship in MCL 28.425o. The biggest difference is that it does not allow firearms possession on the premises of any location with a liquor license whereas MCL 28.425o only bans concealed carry in bars & taverns.
Senate Bill 858 would strip out the exception for a "person licensed by this state or another state to carry a concealed weapon" from MCL 750.234d. The result would make over 20,000 locations in Michigan off-limits for licensed concealed carry. This would include not only party stores, but any grocery store, gas station, pharmacy, hotel, club, special event, watercraft, retailer, etc. with any type of liquor license, active or not. And that is only locations with liquor licenses. It doesn't account for other locations such as banks and credit unions. The impact is so broad that Senate Bill 858 would effectively outlaw defensive carry in Michigan.
We please ask that you make your opposition known to your state senator. You can locate your state senator HERE.
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