Legislation to fix gap in Michigan’s ban on firearms in airports sent to Senate

Legislation to address a change in federal regulations that has left Michigan with a gap in its laws against bringing firearms past security at airports is heading to the state Senate for consideration.

The bill, SB 22, would address the technicality in state law that allowed former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield (R-Levering) to avoid prosecution by the Emmet County prosecutor after bringing a loaded handgun to the Pellston Regional Airport in 2018. 

House speaker’s fine cut after bringing loaded gun to airport

Michigan law defines the “sterile area” past security at an airport where firearms are banned by referencing a federal regulation line that has changed since the law was written. Back in 2018, Emmet County Prosecutor James Linderman said he couldn’t prosecute Chatfield due to the state law being dependent on a definition in a federal regulation line that has since changed.

Linderman testified last week in front of the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure committee in support of the legislation to clearly define the “sterile area” in airports in Michigan law.

“If you walk into a sterile area with a firearm right now, it’s almost impossible to prosecute the person. I’ve tried it a couple of times and had to dismiss the cases frankly. That’s not a good thing,” Linderman said.

And the problem is getting worse with the number of firearms found at checkpoints so far in 2023 already exceeding the total for the whole year in 2022, Michigan Association of Airport Executives Chairman Kevin Klein said in testimony last week. 

Earlier this year, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced that in 2022 its officers found 100 handguns at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) security checkpoints.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. John DaMoose (R-Harbor Springs), passed the Senate committee 10-0, with Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) abstaining from the vote.