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Man uses racial slur while testifying against gun ban at Michigan Capitol

Umito November 15, 2024

Lansing — A man disrupted an already tense Michigan Senate committee hearing Thursday on whether guns should be permanently banned in the state Capitol building by using a racial slur to refer to people from Detroit during their testimony.

The individual identified himself as Avi Rachlin and said he represented “Groypers for America,” referring to a far-right party. extremist movementaccording to the testimony card he submitted to the Michigan Senate Committee on Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety.

Rachlin opened her speech by saying Democrats’ efforts to push bans on guns in the Capitol and state House and Senate office buildings went against the “will of the People,” who voted on November 5 to elect Republican Donald Trump as president and return control of the State House to the GOP.

“This is legislation that targets white people,” Rachlin said. “It’s racial because the people showing up at the Capitol are predominantly white…and it’s retaliation against the one demographic that voted overwhelmingly to support Donald Trump.”

Rachlin then said lawmakers should focus on people who shoot other people in places like Detroit. He noted that committee chairwoman Sen. Stephanie Chang, a Detroit Democrat, represents part of the city. Rachlin then said the individuals were “overwhelmingly sub-Saharan Africans aged 13 to 34.”

In response, Chang banged his gavel and said the committee would move on.

“Are you going to have armed guards kick me out?” » asked Rachlin. “Armed men with guns?”

Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, chimed in, asking, “Did I just hear you call a group of people by an epithet?”

“Yes,” Rachlin replied.

Sen. Ruth Johnson, R-Holly, told Rachlin: “The term you used is inappropriate and it will get you nowhere in this legislature. »

Moments later, the committee voted 4-2 to send the bills to the full Senate, with Runestad and Johnson in opposition.

The measures would generally ban guns inside the Michigan Capitol, the Anderson House office building and the Binsfeld Senate office building in Lansing. However, a deputy with a concealed weapon permit could still carry a weapon into buildings.

Currently, under a policy of the Michigan State Capitol Commissionfirearms are prohibited inside the Capitol. This standard does not apply to House and Senate office buildings.

Sen. Dayna Polehanki, a Livonia Democrat, one of the bills’ sponsors, argued that lawmakers need to write the ban into law so a future committee can’t change it on its own. Polehanki said it was “very important” to her to get the bills through the Legislature by the end of the year, before Republicans regain control of the House of Representatives.

“As you can see, my Republican colleagues, who voted no, do not believe in the need to protect … the citizens of Michigan at the Capitol from the real threat of gun violence,” Polehanki said.

The Livonia lawmaker said there were enough votes in the Senate to pass the bills.

Poelhanki and Sen. Sarah Anthony, D-Lansing, both testified Thursday about the protests during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – before the gun ban went into effect – which brought armed individuals into the gallery of the Senate.

“Just a few years ago, many of us were absolutely terrified when guns were pointed at us while we were trying to do our jobs,” Anthony said.

Runestad asked Anthony if she reported the guns pointed at her to Capitol security. Anthony said she filed a formal complaint with the Michigan State Police and House sergeants. Runestad interrupted Anthony. Then, she said, “I’ve raised a lot of nieces and nephews, and I’m not afraid when it comes to dealing with tantrums.”

A representative from the National Rifle Association and Tom Lambert, legislative director of the group Michigan Open Carry, testified against the bills.

Lambert said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, would have prosecuted individuals if they pointed guns at lawmakers during protests in 2020. Michigan already has a law. against brandishing a firearm, which would include pointing a gun in a threatening mannerLambert noted.

“The bills are a solution in search of a problem,” Lambert argued.

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