REGION- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel testified before the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety Committee in support of Senate Bills 471 & 472, which would prevent people convicted of domestic violence misdemeanors from possessing or owning a firearm for eight years following their conviction. She was joined by the lead attorney of the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Unit, Danielle Bennetts, Division Chief, Criminal Trials and Appeals, Danielle Hagaman-Clark, and Acting Chief Legal Counsel, Linus Banghart-Linn.
“As a long-time prosecutor and defense attorney, I have handled hundreds of cases involving abuse against intimate partners. There is a clear, undeniable, and deadly connection between domestic violence and firearms,” said Nessel. “The available statistics are shocking, and I am infuriated that thousands of Michigan residents are targeted each year by the scourge of senseless, preventable gun violence in our state. This common-sense measure is long overdue and will undoubtedly save lives.”
Attorney General Nessel has been a vociferous voice calling for gun safety measures, including advocating for a federal restriction on handgun sales to individuals under the age of 21, increased accountability for manufacturers, efforts to remove ghost-guns from our streets, and banning firearms from the Capitol and other state facilities. Earlier this year, she testified before the Michigan Senate in support of gun safety legislation that expanded background checks, established safe storage guidelines, and created a process for Extreme Risk Protection Orders.
