April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

Following the deadly shooting at Michigan State University, Livingston County Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin is co-sponsoring legislation to implement universal background checks and reinstate the assault weapons ban.

On Tuesday, Slotkin reintroduced her Safe Guns, Safe Kids Act, a bill requiring safe and proper storage of firearms in household to prevent children and others from illegally accessing a weapon. The bill would also impose a penalty of up to 5 years of prison time if a child does indeed access the gun, and uses it to injure themselves, others, or while committing a crime.

The bill was first introduced after the Oxford High School shooting in November 2021 and passed in the House in June 2022.

Slotkin will also co-sponsor the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2023 and the Assault Weapons Ban of 2023. A virtual town hall meeting will be held this Wednesday, February 22nd at 6:30 p.m. with State Senator Rosemary Bayer to offer students and constituents the opportunity to provide feedback on the legislation.

The announcement comes one week after a gunman open fired on MSU’s campus, leaving three students dead and five more injured. One of the injured students is a 2020 graduate of Hartland High School, whose name has not yet been released.