The morning started predictably enough, with the Senate Judiciary Committee reporting out a puzzling piece of legislation he sponsored. The legislation would prohibit the federal government from regulating any firearm that is manufactured and kept in Michigan.
It’s a high-profile response to new federal efforts to regulate firearms nationwide, particularly assault weapons, in the wake of a mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary. Jones' message is clear: Uncle Sam, keep your mitts off our guns.
The proposed law has raised many concerns, not the least of which is the fact that no firearms are manufactured in Michigan. There are constitutional concerns as well.
Incredibly, Jones touts his bill as a way to attract gun manufactuers to Michigan.
The committee, which Jones chairs, reported out the bill 3-1. Who knows how that bill will fare in the full Senate. But a second piece of legislation unveiled Wednesday, also sponsored by Jones, has a better chance of effecting change in Michigan.
Proponents say the legislation is intended to restore the original intent of Proposal A by stipulating the School Aid Fund must be used for public schools, not higher education. In recent years, Gov. Jennifer Granholm was criticized for channeling some of the fund to community colleges due to state budget deficits.
Such a bill has a good chance of garnering broad bipartisan support and becoming among the first major pieces of legislation to see Gov. Rick Snyder’s pen.
