Lansing lawmakers consider ghost gun, bump stock bans under backlash from 2A advocates

FOX 2 - Lansing lawmakers are looking at a series of bills that restrict firearms, with emphasis on bump stocks and ghost guns.

Rick Ector from the group Legally Armed in Detroit, is not so sure more laws which he says impact regular citizens - and not criminals, is the answer.

"Putting more gun laws to restrict and impair the rights of ordinary law-abiding citizens who’ve done nothing wrong, if it’s a non-solution - it doesn’t solve anything," he said.

Pastor Barry Randolph of the Church of the Messiah Detroit disagrees.

"We’re not talking about taking away people‘s right to bear arms," he said. "We’re just talking about taking away people‘s right to commit murder."

The bills have passed the Michigan Senate — and are heading for the House. Senate Bill 492 would ban bump stocks — which were banned in response to the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2018 — but the US Supreme Court overturned that ruling.

Another set of bills would ban ghost guns — which are 3D printed and built at home — the type of gun Luigi Mangione allegeldy used to fatally shoot the United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

"There's a group of us, we were in Lansing ... we met with our legislatures. we met with our senators and we asked that these bills be passed," said Randolph. "And I’m so happy so far."

Randolph preached safety. He hosts Silence the Violence each year to advocate for peace and safety awareness.

Meanwhile, Ector, an NRA-certified firearms trainer, teaches people about gun safety. He says these bills are infringing on the American right to bear arms.

"If someone wants to do something and it’s legal, then by and large, they should have that opportunity to do that," he said. "The fact that a bad person would take a specific item and use it inappropriately and criminally to harm other people is not a justified reason to keep law-abiding citizens from having the ability to do so."