6 May 9 • 2019
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views
A
USA Today/Suffolk University
poll in December 2018 found
that Republicans, Democrats
and Independents all said bipartisan
cooperation topped their wish list
for what they would
like to see in 2019.
Amid our country’
s
current political
polarization, it is
easy to understand
why this aspiration
is shared across the
political spectrum.
Bipartisan
cooperation depends
on identifying concerns and ideas
shared by Republicans, Democrats
and Independents. Last month, in
what feels like an unusual moment
for 2019, the Republican-led U.S.
Senate Judiciary Committee held
a hearing on a concept that can
reduce suicides and interpersonal
violence: extreme risk protection
orders that authorize judges to
temporarily remove firearms from
individuals when persuasive evidence
shows that they pose a danger to
themselves or others. News reports
on the hearing indicated that the
Committee chairman, Sen. Lindsey
Graham (R-SC), as well as the senior
Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein
(D-CA), both made favorable
comments about this violence
reduction mechanism.
Discussions related to gun policy
are assumed to produce heated
arguments between Republicans
and Democrats. Yet, the extent
of partisan disagreement actually
depends on which gun policies
are being debated. Extreme risk
protection orders attract support
from Americans of all political
persuasions. Nearly two-thirds
of gun deaths in the United
States annually are the result of
suicides, an issue that tragically
affects families without regard
to political affiliation or place of
residence. Indeed, firearms suicides
occur at markedly higher rates in
rural areas than in urban areas.
In addition, research shows the
risk of shootings associated with
domestic violence may be reduced
if there is a mechanism to remove
firearms during periods of severe
interpersonal conflict. Women, in
particular, face disproportionate
risks of harm in the context of these
conflicts.
Public opinion surveys in
Michigan and nationally confirm
that strong majority support exists
for this mechanism to reduce deaths
and injuries. An EPIC-MRA poll in
March 2019 found that more than
70 percent of Michiganders support
extreme risk protection orders. A
national survey by the Associated
Press and the National Opinion
Research Center at the University of
Chicago, also in March 2019, found
that nearly 70 percent of gunowners
supported such orders and more
than 80 percent of people living in
homes without guns agreed.
In February 2019, bills were
proposed in the Michigan legislature
(including Senate Bills 156-158
referred to the Senate Government
Operations committee and House
Bills 4283-4285 referred to the House
Judiciary Committee) to enable
our state to join 14 other states,
including Indiana and Florida, that
already authorize judges to take
action based on persuasive evidence
about extreme risks posed by
someone’
s possession of a firearm.
The proposed Extreme Risk
Protection Order Act provides
the affected individual with the
opportunity to challenge the judge’
s
decision and limits the applicability
of the order to one year, unless
recent evidence justifies renewal of
the order. The proposed law strikes
a balance between acting quickly
to reduce risk and preserving due
process rights for the affected
individual. Other states have already
pioneered this approach to harm
reduction so Michigan can benefit
from their experience.
When Americans across the
political spectrum find common
ground in proposals to address
difficult problems, it is important
for legislators from both parties to
notice and take action. Sen. Lindsey
Graham’
s Judiciary Committee in
the U.S. Senate set an example for
serious bipartisan examination and
discussion of a violence-reduction
approach that has been supported
by Republicans and Democrats. At
this very moment, Michigan’
s state
legislators have the opportunity to
consider seriously — in an open and
bipartisan manner — the proposed
Extreme Risk Protection Order Act,
an established concept that enjoys
broad support across the political
spectrum. ■ See story on page 12.
Christopher Smith is professor of criminal
justice at Michigan State University and
chairperson of the Michigan Coalition to
Prevent Gun Violence.
A Bipartisan Approach to Reduce Risks
Christopher
E. Smith,
J.D., Ph.D.
Contributing Writer
commentary