Senator Chang asked and was granted unanimous consent to make a statement and moved that the statement be printed in the Journal.
The motion prevailed.
Senator Chang’s statement is as follows:
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and I’m grateful that we’re taking action today to protect domestic violence survivors. I want to express my appreciation to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy’s office for coming to me more than five years ago with this idea and working with me and domestic violence experts, gun violence prevention groups, and law enforcement stakeholders to develop and refine this legislation that will save lives. I also want to thank former Senator Wayne Schmidt, former Representative Mary Whiteford, current Representative Amos O’Neal, and the Senator—and my seatmate—from the 14th District for our partnership. These bipartisan bills have certainly been on a long journey since they were first introduced and had a committee hearing back in 2018.
Nearly half of all women murdered in the United States are killed by a current or former intimate partner, and more than half of these intimate partner homicides are by firearm. Women are five times more likely to be murdered by an abusive partner when the abuser has access to a gun. Let me say that again. Women in domestic violence situations are five times more likely to die when their abuser has a firearm in the home. We know that domestic violence can escalate. What might be a more minor incident the first or second time may become a more violent and dangerous offense later on. We also know that illegal behaviors that may be seen by some as minor offenses like trespassing or demolition of property can be a predictor of deadly violence in a situation where domestic violence is present. Seventy-six percent of intimate partner homicides and 85 percent of attempted homicides of women were preceded by at least one incident of stalking in the year before the attack. Certain criminal activity like destruction of property, stalking, and breaking and entering can turn, and in too many unfortunate circumstances did turn, lethal in domestic violence situations where abusers seek to exert power and control over their victims. I want to express how grateful I am to the many domestic violence survivors and their families who have shared their painful stories of domestic violence and how these bills will help them.
What this bill package does is very simple. It helps keep firearms out of the hands of people very likely to be a danger to others. Individuals convicted—not accused, not charged, but convicted—of misdemeanor domestic violence, would be prohibited from possessing, purchasing, selling, or transporting a gun for eight years, a very reasonable length of time after the completion of their sentence. Law enforcement officials and victim advocates have learned to recognize that the use of a gun by an abuser to threaten or intimidate their partner is a key predictor for intimate partner homicides. By passing this law, Michigan will be joining 31 other states across this country, including numerous Republican-led legislatures, and Washington, D.C. We’ve got Kansas and Louisiana, West Virginia, and Indiana that have already passed similar bills, and it’s time for Michigan to join this list.
Survivors of domestic violence endure unimaginable pain and betrayal. It is our responsibility to ensure they have the peace of mind knowing they will be protected from threats of gun violence at the hands of their abusers. That is why we need to pass these bills to help prevent future violence and abuse in the home involving a firearm. We have a chance to help save lives now. This legislation is a common-sense, formally bipartisan solution to protecting domestic violence survivors in our state, and I urge a “yes” vote on this bill package.
The following bill was read a third time:
Senate Bill No. 472, entitled
A bill to amend 1927 PA 175, entitled “The code of criminal procedure,” by amending section 16m of chapter XVII (MCL 777.16m), as amended by 2023 PA 22.
The question being on the passage of the bill,
The bill was passed, a majority of the members serving voting therefor, as follows: