State Rep. Beau LaFave today voted to approve a plan to protect Michigan’s hardworking taxpayers from being forced to fund ineffective gun buyback programs.

LaFave, of Iron Mountain, said research shows gun buyback programs are among the least effective ways to reduce gun violence, and it would be irresponsible to allow public resources to be spent on programs that don’t produce results.

“Let’s be honest. Gun buyback programs aren’t really about public safety,” LaFave said. “They’re a plot used by anti-gun extremists to disarm honest, law-abiding Americans and reduce the number of guns in society. Using public tax dollars for buyback programs would be the first step toward forcibly disarming citizens through mandatory buybacks – something we must all fight back against.”

House Bill 5479 would prevent local governments from using public resources for firearm buyback programs. It would not prevent any community from holding a gun giveback, where residents willingly turn in unwanted firearms without a financial incentive. It also does not prevent any individual from selling unwanted firearms to a qualified private business.

The plan was approved today by the Michigan House with bipartisan support. It now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

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