Michigan has been on an anti-gun tear and there's absolutely nothing to suggest that they're going to slow down. That's a problem for law-abiding gun owners, to say the least.
One thing people can agree on is trying to keep our schools safe. We may not agree on the best way to accomplish that, but we can agree it needs to be done. In Michigan, though, they have a plan, and I suppose you could call it a mixed bag.
See, it's not that every aspect of it is stupid by any stretch of the imagination. Some of it is good. Other aspects of it seem to ignore human nature.
Notices of gun storage come from House Bills 5450-51, which amended the state’s Revised School Code and also required the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to share details about best practices by June 1, as well as notify the Michigan Department of Education.
Local schools, including academies and non-public agencies, will be required to share the information with families every October starting later this year.
Some safety measures, including the procedure-related steps to school emergencies, came in the wake of the deadly Oxford school shooting three years ago.
The bills require state police to develop terminology, and governing boards for public and nonpublic schools must adopt them to streamline use of phrases like lockdown, secure mode, shelter in place, reverse evacuation and room clear among first responders.
Another measure also would require school boards to have a behavior threat assessment management team, including a mental health professional, school administrator and a resource officer or other law.
State Rep. Kelly Breen, D-Novi, one of the bills’ original sponsors, in December recalled the lack of use of an existing threat assessment policy at Oxford High School in Oakland County in 2021. The mass shooting killed four and injured seven.
...Two other measures, HB 5659-60 as sponsored by Republican state Reps. Luke Meerman and Nancy DeBoer, will newly create a school safety and mental health commission.
The body would aim to better mental health outcomes for school-aged kids, adolescents and their families and reduce suicide rates among Michigan youth.
There are concerns about the fact that the notices are required to be sent home from private schools as well.
That's far from my biggest issue with these new rules.
First, let's talk about the good. Michigan is looking to improve mental health efforts for kids, taking significant steps to address that problem. This will have added benefits beyond school safety. This is a good thing and while I may not be nonchalant about taxpayer money being spent as a general thing, it's hardly the worst expenditure possible, and it has the added benefit of being something that will actually help.
Notices being sent home, though?
Look, it's not the most obtrusive thing the government could do. I'll grant that.
It's also something that's really just a feel-good action that will cost money with minimal results. Think about what most people do with notices from school. They glance over it, see if there's anything they're required to do so their kid doesn't get punished, and then throw it away. With gun storage, they're either already doing it, don't care, or feel they've done enough. A notice from the school every year isn't going to change that.
Especially as it'll probably drop on the first day of school when you're getting 84,000 pieces of paper to look at.
Granted if it was this or something far more intrusive and oppressive, I could live with this over the alternatives, but that doesn't mean anyone should expect it to do any good.
Trying to tackle mental health issues will do a lot of good, including student suicide and potentially stopping mass shootings. Notices that no one will notice, though?
Don't hold your breath there.
