MICHIGAN — After three students were shot and killed on Michigan State's campus Tuesday night, Michigan leaders promise action.
Just over a year since four Oxford High School students were killed in a fatal shooting, gun regulation and school safety are top of mind for legislators in Michigan.
Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and State Senator Rosemary Bayer, of Oxford, say they're already crafting legislation, which they hope to introduce soon.
"Whether it's mass shootings, homicides, or suicides, we know there is not one bill or one policy that make all of that go away overnight," said Senator Brinks. "But we do know that there is a culture of violence that we can make a direct impact on, and we can act to improve the lives of the people of our state."
As a starting point, Senator Brinks says bills will likely include measures on safe storage, universal background checks, and additional efforts on extreme risk protection orders.
Meanwhile, Republican State Representative Luke Meerman of Coopersville, who served on the Schools Safety Task Force after the Oxford shooting, say legislation should focus on increasing mental health resources and school security assessments.
"Many, many of us have children or know people that are in the school system," said Meerman. "It's a mental health crisis that's accelerating. And we need to focus our attention on what works best."
Meerman says he'd like to see money sent to school counselors and effort dedicated to supporting counselors.
"Get young people interested in counseling," he said. "Help them pay for their internship, which is some of the things that were doing last year."
Senator Rosemary Bayer, however, says that the feelings experienced during the Oxford shooting are the same as those community members felt at MSU on Tuesday. She says action is necessary.
"Having gone through this situation at Oxford, you know, you feel the feelings all over again, every time," she said. "We're never going to get past that, but we're going to try to do something about it."
