Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following statement in support of House Bills 4945 & 4946 and 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.
“Survivors are at the greatest risk of harm in the first weeks after leaving an abusive relationship. That risk increases significantly when the abuser has access to a weapon,” Nessel said. “Common-sense measures like this will remove weapons from the hands of people who have been convicted of violence in their homes.
“The Department of Attorney General is committed to protecting and supporting survivors, and that includes promoting measures like this, which will help reduce the scourge of gun-related deaths caused by intimate partners,” Nessel added. “I applaud Senator Stephanie Chang and Representative Amos O’Neal for supporting victims and introducing legislation that will undoubtedly save lives.”
Abusers with firearms are five times more likely to kill their female victims, and “guns further exacerbate the power and control dynamic commonly used by abusers to inflict emotional abuse and exert coercive control over their victims,” according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
The study continues to state that “while the deadly intersection of guns and intimate partner violence affects all women, it has a disproportionate impact on women of color as well as pregnant and postpartum women. In addition, segments of the LGBTQ+ community and people with disabilities are highly vulnerable to severe forms of relationship abuse.”
Nessel will be speaking at a vigil with the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault on Thursday, September 14, at 10 a.m. at the Lansing Capitol.
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