mikestilly
Regular Member
imported post
In another thread I explained how if you really wanted to know a candidates position on certain issues you should simply ask him or her directly and then do research on the candidates has already done to prove they stand behind what they say. Thats exactly what I did.
I'm not bias towards a candidate either. Most of us here have the same views on firearm ownership and gun rights. To be honest I think we have very few differences in this area. What I did was I started off like any normal citizen. I researched the every single fact I could find and weighed the candidates actions as a public servant. If I wanted further clarification I got them directly.
With all that said here is the meat and potatoes. I asked 3 pin pointed questions like I suggested to another person on the forum. These are my questions with responses:
1.) What is Mike’s opinion on allowing law abiding gun owners access to SBR, SBS, silencers, class 3 items that are licensed by the NFA?
Answer: Short Barreled Rifles (SBR) and Shotguns (SBS) are regulated in the same manner as machine guns or any other NFA item by the NFA-BATFE (National Firearms Act - Branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) SBR SBS is legal to own under the federal laws and regulations as long as they are registered in the NFRTR (National Firearms Registry and Transfer Record) managed by the NFA-BATFE. The NFA will transfer an SBR or SBS as long as the applicant is vetted i.e. FBI Prints, Back Ground Check, Photo's, Certificate of US Citizenship, Signature of CLEO i.e. Sheriff, the proper registration forms, everything in duplicate and a payment of the $200 transfer tax. The NFA will approve the transfer if all checks out and it is legal to own in the state and local jurisdiction of the applicant.
It is not legal to own a SBR SBS in Michigan unless it is a Curio and Relic classified SBR or SBS. See MCL 750.224 B which prohibits SBR SBS unless classified C&R. So while the AG believes everybody has a right to keep and bear arms including SBR and SBS, the state law prevents it in most cases and the AG does not have the power to arbitrarily enact new state law as much as he may clarify state law. Legislation would need to be drafted, approved by both houses of the legislature and signed by the Governor in order to approve SBR SBS.
Mike should generally support all NFA items as there is a clear federal right to own such items albeit a highly regulated right and the state of Michigan has enacted laws that prevent a law abiding person from legally exercising their federal right to own some such items. The approval and transfer of such items is a function of the NFA-BATFE and applicants are vetted so ownership should not be an issue. Privately owned, registered NFA firearms and devices are never used by their owners in the commission of a crime. There have only been a few cases in decades of criminal misuse of a legally owned machine gun and it was by an Ohio LE officer.
Criminals will evade the process entirely and not legally possess a machine gun, sbr, sbs, silencer, aow etc. If anything they may engage in the illegal manufacture of such items. They will not seek legal means of registered - tax paid, federally and LE approved registration and transfer. This makes the NFA issue moot as they are highly regulated and almost never used in crime. The federal penalty for illegal unregistered possession of an NFA item is a felony 10 years in federal prison and or a $250,000 fine plus state felony charges and fines and prohibition of federal and state gun rights forever after.
This is what people don't realize. The legal NFA owner treads the straight and narrow path or faces the wrath of the law.
2.) Will Mike work on the elimination of pistol free zones.
Answer: Why not? If a person is properly licensed and charged with the responsibility for himself and his actions to carry a pistol concealed why should he be considered less responsible in a so-called pistol free zone when he knows he must maintain responsibility or face the law?
3.) What is Mike’s opinion of open carry and if a ban of the practice were to be pushed by the gun control advocates would he speak out against such legislation?
Answer: Mike has instructed the state LE agencies that open carry is a constitutionally protected liberty under Michigan Constitution Article 1, Section 6 which says " Every person has a right to keep and bear arms for the defense of himself and the state." Mike would oppose a prohibition of open carry as an unconstitutional infringement of a constitutional guarantee.
*I have not altered the responses in any way. I've provided them as they were presented to me and received permission to publicly post these responses.
Please feel free to discuss these issues on the thread and post any further information anyone else may have on Mike.
In another thread I explained how if you really wanted to know a candidates position on certain issues you should simply ask him or her directly and then do research on the candidates has already done to prove they stand behind what they say. Thats exactly what I did.
I'm not bias towards a candidate either. Most of us here have the same views on firearm ownership and gun rights. To be honest I think we have very few differences in this area. What I did was I started off like any normal citizen. I researched the every single fact I could find and weighed the candidates actions as a public servant. If I wanted further clarification I got them directly.
With all that said here is the meat and potatoes. I asked 3 pin pointed questions like I suggested to another person on the forum. These are my questions with responses:
1.) What is Mike’s opinion on allowing law abiding gun owners access to SBR, SBS, silencers, class 3 items that are licensed by the NFA?
Answer: Short Barreled Rifles (SBR) and Shotguns (SBS) are regulated in the same manner as machine guns or any other NFA item by the NFA-BATFE (National Firearms Act - Branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) SBR SBS is legal to own under the federal laws and regulations as long as they are registered in the NFRTR (National Firearms Registry and Transfer Record) managed by the NFA-BATFE. The NFA will transfer an SBR or SBS as long as the applicant is vetted i.e. FBI Prints, Back Ground Check, Photo's, Certificate of US Citizenship, Signature of CLEO i.e. Sheriff, the proper registration forms, everything in duplicate and a payment of the $200 transfer tax. The NFA will approve the transfer if all checks out and it is legal to own in the state and local jurisdiction of the applicant.
It is not legal to own a SBR SBS in Michigan unless it is a Curio and Relic classified SBR or SBS. See MCL 750.224 B which prohibits SBR SBS unless classified C&R. So while the AG believes everybody has a right to keep and bear arms including SBR and SBS, the state law prevents it in most cases and the AG does not have the power to arbitrarily enact new state law as much as he may clarify state law. Legislation would need to be drafted, approved by both houses of the legislature and signed by the Governor in order to approve SBR SBS.
Mike should generally support all NFA items as there is a clear federal right to own such items albeit a highly regulated right and the state of Michigan has enacted laws that prevent a law abiding person from legally exercising their federal right to own some such items. The approval and transfer of such items is a function of the NFA-BATFE and applicants are vetted so ownership should not be an issue. Privately owned, registered NFA firearms and devices are never used by their owners in the commission of a crime. There have only been a few cases in decades of criminal misuse of a legally owned machine gun and it was by an Ohio LE officer.
Criminals will evade the process entirely and not legally possess a machine gun, sbr, sbs, silencer, aow etc. If anything they may engage in the illegal manufacture of such items. They will not seek legal means of registered - tax paid, federally and LE approved registration and transfer. This makes the NFA issue moot as they are highly regulated and almost never used in crime. The federal penalty for illegal unregistered possession of an NFA item is a felony 10 years in federal prison and or a $250,000 fine plus state felony charges and fines and prohibition of federal and state gun rights forever after.
This is what people don't realize. The legal NFA owner treads the straight and narrow path or faces the wrath of the law.
2.) Will Mike work on the elimination of pistol free zones.
Answer: Why not? If a person is properly licensed and charged with the responsibility for himself and his actions to carry a pistol concealed why should he be considered less responsible in a so-called pistol free zone when he knows he must maintain responsibility or face the law?
3.) What is Mike’s opinion of open carry and if a ban of the practice were to be pushed by the gun control advocates would he speak out against such legislation?
Answer: Mike has instructed the state LE agencies that open carry is a constitutionally protected liberty under Michigan Constitution Article 1, Section 6 which says " Every person has a right to keep and bear arms for the defense of himself and the state." Mike would oppose a prohibition of open carry as an unconstitutional infringement of a constitutional guarantee.
*I have not altered the responses in any way. I've provided them as they were presented to me and received permission to publicly post these responses.
Please feel free to discuss these issues on the thread and post any further information anyone else may have on Mike.
