Page 5 - ARUBA TODAY

A5
U.S. NEWS Monday 9 april 2018

Michigan's top court hearing cases over guns, schools

By ED WHITE
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) —
A gun openly carried by a
spectator at a school con-
cert in 2015 has turned into
a major legal case as the
Michigan Supreme Court
considers whether the
state's public schools can
trump the Legislature and
adopt their own restrictions
on firearms.
The case from Ann Arbor
has been on the court's
docket for more than a
year. But arguments set for
Wednesday are getting ex-
tra attention in the wake of
a Florida school shooting in
February that killed 17.
There's no dispute that
Michigan law bars people
from possessing a gun in-
side a weapon-free school
zone. But there's a wrinkle: This April 1, 2018, photo shows Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Someone with a con- Associated Press
cealed pistol permit can
enter school property with The districts won that round.
a gun that's openly hol- Ken Herman, a paramedic
stered. and gun-owning parent
Though rare, it happened who sued the Clio district,
three years ago at a choir believes the appeals court
concert at Ann Arbor Pio- got it wrong. In a filing at
neer High School, scaring the Supreme Court, his at-
teens, staff and spectators. torney said schools have a
The school board respond- duty to keep students safe,
ed by banning all guns, but lawmakers have "cho-
with exceptions for police. sen to reserve the power to
"If a student were to bring regulate the possession of
a gun into a school, that firearms."
would be worthy of an ex- Herman, 36, said he carries
pulsion," said Jeanice Kerr a gun for protection wher-
Swift, superintendent of ever it's allowed. He said
Ann Arbor schools. "So why fears would be eased if
would it be different for oth- more adults educated kids
er folks? ... What this case is about proper gun owner-
about is local communities ship. "If adults are OK with
having a choice." it, there are no alarm bells,"
Separately, the Clio district, Herman said. "If they over-
north of Flint, has a similar react and yell 'fire' every
policy. The Supreme Court time a law-abiding citizen
is hearing challenges from is carrying, they're sending
gun owners in both com- the wrong message."
munities. He said many Clio parents
Gun-rights advocates ar- with gun permits would
gue that local govern- be willing to volunteer at
ments, including elected schools and add an extra
school boards, can't step layer of security.
into an area reserved for "If something were to hap-
the Michigan Legislature pen and I didn't possess the
under state law. They point tools to intercept to some
to a Lansing-area library degree, I'm not sure I could
whose ban on the open live with that burden," Her-
display of guns was struck man said.
down by the state appeals Students are paying atten-
court in 2012. tion to the cases. Paige Tar,
But in Ann Arbor and Clio, a junior at Northville High
another three-judge panel School in suburban De-
at the appeals court said troit, is part of a statewide
schools are in a different student group, Engage 18,
category and have free- which favors giving schools
dom to further restrict guns. authority over guns. q