[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 35 (Thursday, March 15, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S2382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT KIDS

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, last weekend, I joined members of the 
Michigan Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence and the Michigan Million 
Mom March, part of the coalition of People Who Care About Kids to 
circulate petitions calling for a citizens' referendum on Public Act 
381, the ``shall issue'' law.
  Passed by the Michigan Legislature in December 2000 and signed by the 
Governor, the Act takes discretion away from local gun boards and 
requires that authorities ``shall'' or must issue concealed weapons 
licenses to any one 21 years or older without a criminal record, with 
limited exceptions.
  People Who Care About Kids is collecting signatures to suspend 
implementation of the law, which would otherwise go into effect on July 
1st of this year. If enough signatures are collected by the deadline, 
the issue will be put before voters in 2002. Petition organizers need 
only 151,356 valid signatures by the deadline, March 27th, but are 
seeking 225,000 signatures in total.
  The ``shall issue'' law is opposed by many law enforcement groups, 
religious leaders, child advocates and community leaders. They oppose 
the law because they believe if people are able to carry handguns into 
restaurants, stores, shopping malls, movie theaters, courtrooms, parks 
or in cars, our communities will be less safe. I also oppose the 
``shall issue'' law. Last weekend, I signed the petition to put the 
issue before the voters and I urge others to sign it as well.

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