- Advocates including Ryan Bates highlight gun safety bills expected to head to Governor Gretchen Whitmer's desk.
- Denise Hartsough of the League of Women Voters advocate for expanded FOIA and Michigan Voting Rights Act that didn't pass.
- The new legislation session is expected to start in January.
Ryan Bates with End Gun Violence Michigan has been in and around the capitol, advocating for gun safety in our neighborhoods.
"I am proud that some of the bills that we passed this year and in lame duck will make an impact," Bates said.
A few weeks ago, I spoke with Bates about gun safety bills in a senate committee being discussed and while those didn't make it across the finish line, a few others did, which he says will save children's lives.
"This new law will require every school to notify every parent every October about safe firearm storage and where they can get free gun locks," Bates said.
Some other laws heading over to the Governor's desk include additional school safety and mental health bills,
WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE ON SCHOOL SAFETY AND MENTAL HEALTH FUNDING WITH SCHOOL OFFICIALS
making sexual extortion illegal,
WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE ON MAKING SEXUAL EXTORTION ILLEGAL WITH MSU POLICE
and expanding protection in hate crimes.
But hundreds were left on the table.
"There was a very strong coalition of good government groups that were working really hard, mobilizing the grassroots efforts everybody could muster in favor of the passage of the Michigan Voting Rights Act bills," Denise Hartsough, President of the League of Women Voters, said.
The Michigan Voting Rights and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) expansion are two stories I covered previously. I talked to neighbors like Denise Hartsough, President of the League of Women Voters, advocating for new voting rights protections and transparency in our government.
Hartsough telling me the bills, which would expand FOIA to the state legislature and the governor, reached the closest it's been since first introduced in 2015, increasing government transparency. what is the bill- most people aren't familiar with the FOIA laws.
"So just helping the public have access to know what's going on up at the legislature or with our governor," Hartsough said.
Now advocates look towards January for them to come back up, again.
"So perhaps there is hope for the next session. We can see if the supporters of those transparency bills are going to bring them back up and work really hard to get them moved along," Hartsough said.
Some of the 247 bills Senate Majority leader Winnie Brinks said the House was unable to vote on including the increased statute of limitations for survivors of sexual abuse,
WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE ON STATUE OF LIMITATIONS FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND HOW IT IMPACTS PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
public safety and violence prevention,
and the banning of ghost guns.
The state legislature is expected to be sworn in January 1st.
Want to see more local news? Visit the FOX47News Website.
For more news about the State Capitol, go to the State Capitol neighborhood page on our website.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox.
Select from these options: Neighborhood News, Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines, and Daily Forecasts.
