Michigan Capitol gun ban could be in place by Labor Day

LANSING — The Michigan Capitol Commission is poised to enact a near-total firearm ban both inside and on the grounds of the Capitol by Labor Day, officials said this week, following pressure from the Legislature's new Democratic majorities.

New security measures are “a great enhancement from what we have currently and, hopefully, it will definitely decrease the risk of any potential incidents that are going to happen at the Capitol building," commission Executive Director Rob Blackshaw said.

“I’m really sorry we have to do this,” commission Chairperson William Kandler said. “To lock the building down and put all this equipment in the building, it's really a shame — but I think really, the reality of the world today, you can't ignore it.”

Until recently, there were no limitations on firearms being carried at the Capitol. However, after April 2020 protests against COVID-19 restrictions that included armed demonstrators brandishing assault-style weapons inside the legislative chambers, discussions resumed about possible weapons bans.

Following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, the Michigan Capitol Commission moved to ban open-carry immediately. After Democrats took control of the Legislature, the six-member Capitol Commission gained new leadership and has been developing plans to ban concealed carry as well.

Members voted in February to create a plan that would increase security measures in and around the capitol, including a firearm ban.

Capitol historian Valerie Marvin, a Commission member, confirmed that bans on open carry and some staff carrying weapons that were put in place in the last two years are the first to restrict firearms in the Capitol's history.

State Sen. Sarah Anthony, a member of the new Democratic Senate majority, was a representative when armed individuals took weapons into the House gallery.

“I've sat on the House floor when armed gunmen were pointing firearms at us because they didn't like the decisions that we were making,” she said in March. “There's nothing like being intimidated by firearms while you're trying to do your job. And no one should be subjected to that.”

She said at the time she supported a firearms ban in the Capitol.

"I'm a responsible gun owner," she said. "So I think that you can both protect your Second Amendment rights, but there are limitations on all of our rights."

Kandler told the Detroit Free Press in May that the security upgrades and training would cost about $1.5 million, a portion of the $5 million that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recommended for Capitol infrastructure and security.

The commission has yet to share a specific updated safety policy, but commissioners are aiming to have that in time for the next meeting July 31.

The plan will address whether lawmakers are allowed to carry concealed weapons in the building, a policy Commission member Tim Bowlin confirmed was still being debated.

Law enforcement will be allowed to carry weapons, Bowlin said.

Employees of the House were banned from carrying weapons on House property in March, a policy put into place by the Democratic majority. A similar policy has not been instituted by the Senate.

Security measures will be installed in the coming weeks, including pass-through metal detection systems. Handheld detecting wands and improved monitoring software will be added as well.

Blackshaw said orders had been placed for the pass-through detection systems and discussions are being held with the Michigan State Police and each chamber’s sergeant at arms about which specific services to purchase for the remaining security systems.

The pass-through detection systems have a backorder of about eight weeks, Blackshaw said. The goal is to install the systems at all public entrances by the time lawmakers and school tours return following summer breaks — around Labor Day — he said.

X-ray bag scanning devices and inspection wands will be used at the north and south Capitol entrances as secondary inspection devices, mainly for contractors and caterers. Six wands will be on site for secondary inspections, Blackshaw said.

The commission hasn’t ordered specific products yet. Blackshaw said there is a model they were considering, but did not specify what it is.

Capitol vendors will be asked to provide a roster of employees who regularly enter the building so they can be subjected to less invasive inspections. Employees who haven't been prescreened may undergo more significant inspection or be denied entry.

Blackshaw said the commission is continuing to work on a software upgrade for the building’s camera system so it will be able to detect firearms openly carried on the grounds. The commission will test a pilot program of the software on the east side of the Capitol.

Cameras will be positioned outside of the entrances of the House and Senate office buildings, Blackshaw said.

Contact Sheldon Krause at skrause@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @sheldonjkrause.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan Capitol gun ban could be in place by Labor Day