Mon Jan 27 18:50:00 IST 2025: ## Michigan Governor Signs Sweeping Gun Safety, School Security, and Hate Crime Bills into Law
**Lansing, MI** – Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a package of significant legislation Wednesday aimed at enhancing gun safety, improving school security, expanding hate crime laws, and addressing sextortion. The bills, passed during the previous legislative session, address several pressing issues facing the state.
Key components of the new laws include:
* **Enhanced Gun Buyback Program Accountability:** Three bills mandate the complete destruction of firearms surrendered through state-sponsored buyback programs, addressing concerns about the resale of recovered weapons. This follows an investigation revealing previous mishandling of firearms collected through these initiatives.
* **Strengthened School Safety Measures:** Five bills implement recommendations from a bipartisan task force formed after the Oxford High School shooting. These measures include standardized emergency response protocols, the mandatory establishment of threat assessment teams in schools by 2026, and the creation of a new school safety and mental health commission.
* **Safe Gun Storage Law:** Two bills require the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to inform parents about the state’s new safe firearm storage law, which introduces criminal penalties for unsecured firearms resulting in harm to children. This addresses the alarming statistic of firearms being the leading cause of death for Michigan children.
* **Expanded Hate Crime Protections:** Two bills broaden the state’s hate crime law to include sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, and ethnicity, also allowing for community service sentences focused on offender rehabilitation.
* **Sextortion Criminalization:** Two new bills criminalize sextortion, establishing varying felony and misdemeanor penalties depending on the severity of the offense and the age of those involved.
* **Sentencing Reform Commission:** Two bills establish a Michigan Sentencing Commission to review and potentially reform sentencing guidelines, addressing concerns about lengthy prison sentences in the state.
Governor Whitmer stated that these bills reflect her administration’s commitment to protecting Michiganders and their families. The legislation passed with Democratic support and faced opposition from Republicans. The impact of these new laws will be closely monitored in the coming years.
First Piper 