LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Michigan House Republicans are taking aim at the state’s concealed carry permit system, proposing legislation that would let law-abiding residents carry a concealed pistol without first asking Lansing for permission.
If passed, Michigan would become the 30th “constitutional carry” state, where a government permit is no longer required to carry a concealed firearm.
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State Reps. Joseph Fox (R-Fremont) and James DeSana (R-Carleton), along with other House Republicans, recently unveiled a package of bills (HB 5653-5657) that would eliminate the requirement for a Concealed Pistol License (CPL) in order to carry a concealed firearm in Michigan.
Fox said the current system amounts to unnecessary bureaucracy layered on top of a right that already exists.
The Constitution already guarantees citizens the right to carry.
“The Founding Fathers were clear when they authored the Second Amendment,” Fox said. “Yet, for too long, state bureaucracies have imposed unconstitutional restrictions on the ability to bear firearms.”
Speech doesn’t need a permit so why should self-defense?
DeSana framed the issue as simple constitutional consistency.
“I believe that our constitutionally protected Second Amendment rights include the ability to defend ourselves,” DeSana said. “When it comes to our First Amendment rights, we are not required to get a permit before we speak.”
Another Lansing gun fight incoming?
Fox called the legislation a top priority for House Republicans, arguing the state has spent decades chipping away at the right to self-defense.
Critics have warned about safety concerns and the loss of training requirements tied to CPL permits. But supporters say the principle is straightforward: if the Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, it shouldn’t come with a government permission slip attached.
