Michigan House and Senate Pass Concealed Carry Reform

Now its on to the Governor for Signature.

The Detroit Free Press: State House, Senate pass bill allowing guns to be carried in more places

You can read the actual passed bill on the Michigan Legislature's site.

Of course, the usual antis and ignorant are predicting blood in the streets and the wild west yet again in the comments, but that's to be expected.

I've read over the law and here is my initial impression, which is not to be construed or taken as legal advice (I'm not your lawyer unless you and i agree and you properly retain me to be such):

The bill does a few good things:

1. With an additional 8 hour training class and another 98 rounds fired for record - what looks to be the NRA's Personal Protection Outside the Home class - you can carry your concealed pistol in the currently prohibited carry areas.

2. It gets rid of the County Gun Boards and turns issuance over to the County Sheriffs, and prevents them from requiring any other forms or information than what is required by the law for the application.

3. Allows fingerprinting to be done by local police as well as the Sheriff's offices for the application.

4. Starting May 1, 2013 the license has to be laminated or made of hard plastic, rather than the flimsy non-laminated paper that some counties issue.

On the downside it:

1. Allows Colleges and Universities that have autonomous authority to pass ordinances prohibiting possession or carrying firearms on their property, which is a big step backwards. (Section 5o.12)

2. Closes the open carry allowance where concealed permit holders could carry openly in prohibited zones, and makes it an offense to openly carry in such zones except for a few exemptions (sec 5o.13)

So it is not perfect, but it is overall another step in the right direction.