Some state lawmakers are calling for a gun ban at the capitol building after a recent protest led to armed protesters watching over them from the senate gallery while the legislature was in session.
Nothing about carrying a weapon into the Michigan state capitol is illegal. For now.
Two weeks ago when armed protesters stood above state lawmakers and chanted outside of the House Chamber, State Representative Sarah Anthony, says she was unnerved.
that is not the job I signed up for. I shouldn’t have to worry about whether there will be gunfire or just violence that is inflicted upon me, or my colleagues, or school children in the state capitol.
The Democrat from Lansing had to walk to the capitol through a crowd of protesters, some holding nazi symbols, nooses, and guns. She vented about it in a Facebook Live Video. Then, one of her constituents offered her an armed escort.
The next time she walked in she was flanked by brown and black men and women carrying semiautomatic weapons. It drew national attention.
Michael Lynn III, is one of the people who escorted Anthony last week. He says it was to send a message that intimidating lawmakers at work with weapons isn't acceptable.
If I’m playing loud music and someone’s on their balcony and they hear it, or like, you know...I’m in my space I can do that. But if I’m playing the loud music and that loud music says I want to kill my neighbor, then you know, they rightfully are in a state of discomfort that it should be stopped.
Now, Anthony is calling for a gun ban at the capitol. She and the Democratic Minority Leader wrote a letter to the Michigan Capitol Commission requesting the ban. The Capitol Commission is in charge of maintaining the wellbeing of the historic building.
Bill Kandler is a commissioner.
It’s totally inappropriate for a democratically elected constitutional body to be deliberating public policy with people peering down at them with guns, totally inappropriate.
The Capitol Commission met, after receiving Anthony’s letter. Shortly before the meeting Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a formal legal opinion saying the commission had the authority to make the ban.
But, the commission wasn’t quite so sure. They voted unanimously to study if they had the ability to ban guns.
In the meeting there were a lot of questions about why the legislature wouldn’t pass a law banning weapons. Kandler says making a quick decision could open them up to a lawsuit.
If we made policy now we’d be shooting in the dark, and it would probably be more of a problem than not doing anything. I mean, the legislature could have done anything. We didn’t just do anything in four days, the legislature hasn’t done anything in four decades, so…”
Then, as organizers planned for a third protest, violent threats were made in several Facebook groups against the Governor.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey condemned the threats, calling them despicable and the people who made them, thugs.
But, he said the protesters who stood over Senators weren’t part of that group.
“And they’ve even shown up on the capitol lawn and in the building to protest the actions of government. But, they have done so without threatening the safety of others.”
No changes were made to the policy before Thursday’s protest. Lawmakers decided to adjourn until next week.
Two hundred protesters stood outside an empty building in the rain including Scott Browerman. He came packing. Browerman says he's not a threat to anybody, but the incident at the senate gallery went too far
“ They don’t need to threaten people. I carry an AR-15, I have a pistol on my hip. My wife has an AR-15 she carries a pistol on her hip. We’re not a threat to nobody.
The Michigan Capitol Commission plans to meet next week, and Democratic lawmakers have introduced bills to ban weapons at the capitol. But, for now, if you want to carry in a pistol or an AR-15 to the capitol building, nothing’s stopping you.