LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — Should school districts be able to keep people from carrying guns on campus? That’s the question the Michigan Supreme Court is now trying to answer.
The court Wednesday heard from attorneys for two school districts that are facing off against organized gun advocates.
Justices intensely questioned both sides of the issue.
“There are lots of things that are not illegal, but I could still have a policy saying, ‘Don’t do it on my property,’ right? asked Justice Bridget McCormack. “I mean it’s not illegal to chew gum, but I might have a policy that says ‘Don’t chew gum on my property.’”
Inquiries came from several of the nine justices.
“Licensed individuals do have the right to carry a weapon. Again, I don’t mean to be flippant about this, but I don’t understand why this isn’t perhaps the beginning, the middle and even conceivably the end of the argument,” said Chief Justice Stephen Markman.
The attorneys representing the Michigan Open Carry organization and the Michigan Gun Owners association argued the state law allows people with permits to have guns on school property.
“There’s always a presumption that the Legislature knows exactly what it’s doing when it writes a statute. If they feel the legislation needs to be fixed, that’s up to the Legislature, not the local school board,” said James Makowski, attorney for Michigan Gun Owners.
Attorneys for the schools said while state law prevents municipalities from making laws restricting carrying of guns, schools are not mentioned.
“The plain language does not include schools,” said William Blaha, attorney for Ann Arbor Schools.
The cases originated in Ann Arbor and Clio, where the school districts banned guns and two men challenged the policies by carrying guns on campus.
FULL STORY: WOOD TV