House Democrats in Michigan have introduced a new bill that would ban the sales and possession of “assault weapons”, a term the bill describes as “guns with certain accessories, modifications or features”.

Republican Senator Ken Horn has become an outspoken critic of the bill, telling constituents that the bill is dead on arrival.

“It’s just so flawed,” he said about the package of bills.

“It would take honest law-abiding citizens and turn them automatically into criminals,” he said. “It does nothing directly to stop the criminal element.”

Introduced in late October, the bill has garnered controversy for a provision that would allow Michigan law enforcement to do an annual inspection of storage premises.

National Rifle Association spokeswoman Amy Hunter spoke out against the bill, adding that “assault weapons” are rarely used by criminals.

“These firearms are widely misunderstood by the general public,” she said. “They are some of the most common rifles in America, used for competitive shooting, recreation, hunting and self-defense. Unfortunately, anti-gun lawmakers have politicized these firearms and tried to turn them into something they are not.”

We’ll continue to monitor the progress of this bill as it moves through the Michigan legislature.