Man uses racial slur during contentious Michigan Senate meeting on capitol gun ban

Racial slur used during Michigan committee hearing

Avi Rachlin was testifying during a committee hearing on the proposed Michigan Capitol gun ban when he uttered a racial epithet. His mic was cut shortly afterwards.

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - An individual who testified during a committee meeting in the Michigan Senate used a racial slur to describe residents in Detroit during a contentious hearing on carrying a concealed gun at the capitol building.

While speaking against the legislation, Avi Rachlin claimed the bills "targets white people" and that those who have Concealed Pistol Licenses are "primarily white."

He then continued the legislation that addresses gun violence should instead be focused on "the people who bring guns into communities and shoot people like where I live in Detroit and where you represent Stephanie Chang which are overwhelmingly 13-44 year old Sub-Saharan African n******."

Chang, who is chair of the Michigan Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety, gaveled Rachlin down after he used the epithet.

When she asked if any of the lawmakers on the committee had any questions, Sen. Jim Runestad, a Republican from White Lake, asked if he described a group of people "with some epithet?"

"Yes," Rachlin said.

"The idea that this is aimed at white people - I know so many different groups from minority communities that are armed, that carry concealed - it's just a ridiculous argument," he said.

Senator Ruth Johnson, a Holly Republican told Rachlin "the term that you used is inappropriate and it will not get you anywhere with this legislature."

The legislation in question is SB 857 and 858, which seeks to amend rules around carrying a firearm in the Michigan State Capitol Building, as well as other governmental buildings in Lansing.

However, the legislation would not include lawmakers with a CPL, who could still carry a weapon into either the capitol, the Anderson House Office Building or the Binsfeld Senate Office Building. While guns are banned in the capitol building, the same rules don't apply to the House and Senate buildings.

Writing on the social media platform X, Rachlin said his testimony was cut short by Chang "because I was speaking the truth."

After cutting the testimony, the bill passed committee 4-2.