(WXYZ) — Hundreds of thousands in Michigan own guns, have Concealed Pistol Licenses, and have been in open carry protests in Lansing over Governor Whitmer’s COVID-19 lockdown orders.
They believe they have become unfairly targeted in the heated debate over open carry guns at the polls on election day.
The legalities are now in the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Court of Claims Judge Christopher Murray shot down the ban on guns issued by Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel appealed and says this will be resolved by Tuesday.
Taking the legalese and politics out of it, many gun owners are husbands, wives, parents who have no criminal records and say the ban on open carry guns at the polls is not needed. They’ve been doing that for years without any problems.
Christina Bass lives in St. Clair County with her husband and three kids.
She tells 7 Action News, “I definitely have carried openly at polls in several past elections. To be honest with you 90% of people never even notice.”
Gene Louzon lives in Macomb County and says he has also carried his gun to vote for years adding, “Yes I do every time. I always do because that’s my Second Amendment right for self-protection. I carry my gun every day. I actually use my Concealed Pistol License. I present that as my identification.”
Louzon says people with a Concealed Pistol License can open carry guns on election day even in schools and churches that are gun-free zones.
“So my voting location is at a school. So, therefore, I have to open-carry I’m not allowed to conceal carry. That’s the only way you’re allowed to carry,” Louzon says.
This issue became high profile with people converged on Lansing to protest with open carry guns Governor Whitmer’s COVID lockdown orders.
To make it even hotter, 14 men are now charged in an alleged plot to kidnap and kill the Governor. Two of the men were involved in the Lansing gun protests.
“It’s painting everyday people like myself as something we’re not. Like we don’t even have a voice in this. We’re being tried before we ever even could imagine doing something wrong,” says Bass.