Legislation to lower the age for submitting an application for a concealed carry permit from 21 to 18 in Michigan was discussed during a public hearing Wednesday by the state House Judiciary Committee, as the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jason Woolford, noted young adults can enlist in the military, vote, and exercise other rights, Yahoo News is reporting.
They should have the ability to defend themselves, Woolford, a Republican, reportedly explained.
According to Yahoo News, House Bill 4586 drew support and opposition. Speaking in support of the measure, Brady Schickinger, executive director at the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners, said the bill brings additional uniformity to state law. Young adults age 18 and above can already buy firearms in the state and even carry a sidearm openly. They just can’t legally carry a concealed handgun.
By contrast, a woman identified as Gail Duncan, told lawmakers her daughter was killed at her workplace by a gunman who subsequently committed suicide. She joined the anti-gun Moms Demand Action as a result. She wanted lawmakers to vote the measure down.
The Second Amendment Foundation has filed legal actions in support of allowing young adults in the 18-20-year age group to own and carry handguns, and in July, the organization petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case known as Brown v. ATF. SAF’s petition for Certiorari highlights the circuit split that has emerged on the issue, with the Fifth Circuit striking down the law earlier this year in SAF’s Reese v. ATF case, while the Fourth Circuit upheld it in Brown. Joining SAF in the case are the West Virginia Citizens Defense League and a private citizen, Alec La Neve.
In all, according to an article in American Handgunner earlier this year, SAF has filed at least 11 cases challenging laws in Connecticut and New Jersey, for example.
As noted in the story, quoting SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, “New Jersey’s handgun and ammunition ban absolutely infringes on the Second Amendment rights of all resident adults under 21 in the state. Each of our age-based lawsuits around the country have the same goal — restoring the rights of adults under 21 who have been disenfranchised by those who think they can trample on their Second Amendment rights purely based on their age.”
“There is not, and never has been, a constitutionally grounded basis for depriving adults under 21 from owning or possessing handguns, period,” added SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut, in a prepared statement. “Adults 18-20-years-old are part of ‘the People’ and can exercise their full Second Amendment rights. Unfortunately, residents of this age group living in New Jersey are being selectively discriminated against solely based on their age, and we aim to rectify that.”
Other legislation considered in the Michigan hearing included:
House Bill 5113, which would allow a “grace period” for concealed carry license applicants to correct any errors on their applications.
House Bill 4980, which would allow people to apply for a concealed carry license in any county of the state, rather than only in their county of residence.
