Plan to force MSP to fund destruction of firearms procured in buybacks passed House late Thursday

State Rep. Ken Borton on Thursday voted against a plan to require most firearms seized as part of a gun buyback program to be destroyed, an effort that seems to be directly targeted at prohibiting the Michigan State Police (MSP) from selling or trading firearms obtained through a buyback or other means. The legislation passed the House along party lines.

“This plan can’t be viewed as anything but a direct weaponization of government against our state police,” said Borton, R-Gaylord. “Under these bills, any firearm that comes into the possession of a state trooper must be destroyed. It doesn’t matter if a concerned citizen turns over a handgun they found on the street, or a priceless antique is handed over as part of a buyback. If MSP gets its hands on it, Democrats want it gone.”

Gun buyback programs have become a popular way to get illegally owned weapons off the street. The practice, primarily operated by municipalities and private organizations, usually leads to all firearms obtained through the buybacks being turned over to MSP. Under current law, MSP is permitted to conduct a public auction to facilitate a firearm sale to a legally eligible buyer, destroy the weapons, use the firearms for official purposes, or dispose of them in another lawful manner permitted by the MSP director.

House Bills 6144 – 6146 would require MSP to destroy all weapons voluntarily given to the department, through a buyback program or otherwise.

The plan now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

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