US Rep Slotkin says Michigan leadership is poised to enact new gun reform

FOX 2 (WJBK) - Eight days after the Michigan State University shooting and Democrat lawmakers at the state and national level say they are getting flooded with calls about how to prevent the next shooting.

US Representative Elissa Slotkin (D-7th District) and State Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-Beverly Hills) held a virtual town hall on gun violence.

The issue of gun control is nothing new - for years a set of bills were aimed at safe storage, background checks, and red flags get introduced but fizzle out.

This time around with Democrats in control at the state level those bills could reach the governor's desk.

Slotkin says she has had this talk before.

"Unfortunately I did a very similar town hall meeting when we had another shooting a year ago at Oxford High School," she said.

In the week since the tragic shooting at MSU, the calls for change have been constant and desperate she added.

"I've been asked most pointedly by students who want to know, what their government is going to do to respond and help keep them safe," Slotkin said.

While Slotkin says she will push for what she calls basic laws like safe storage, background checks, and red flags at the national level, she feels Michigan's democrat leadership has the chance to make the biggest impact.

"The truth is, we all know that our federal government in Washington is not behaving as it should be," she said. "The truth is the place where we can make the most progress, is in the state of Michigan."

That's where Bayer says she comes in, introducing bills on those same three issues;  

"We are excitedly looking forward to a hearing within the next couple of weeks. and a vote shortly thereafter,"  she said.

Hearings that are open to the public in which lawmakers can hear from anyone.

"Think of the power of having that Michigan State sweatshirt present at these hearings that will take place starting next week," Slotkin said.

FOX 2 reached out to a number of Republican lawmakers who didn't want to speak on camera on this issue. However they argue mental health should be a top priority for change.

The Democrats agree in part.

"If you are a mentally ill person who doesn't have access to a gun, you could of course use a knife or something else," Slotkin said. "But the ability to create a mass casualty attack, is fundamentally different if you don't have easy access to a gun."

Slotkin also spoke of keeping guns away from those like the MSU shooter who have been convicted of a misdemeanor, she said she plans ot introduce a bill regarding that at the national level.