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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 21 November 2023
Michigan continues overhaul of gun laws with extended firearm

ban for misdemeanor domestic violence

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI Earlier this month, the Su-
Associated Press preme Court took up a
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — challenge to a federal law
Michigan Democrats who that prohibits people from
have transformed gun laws having guns if they are un-
in the state in the wake of der a court order to stay
multiple mass school shoot- away from their spouse,
ings are now making it partner or other family
more difficult for individuals members.
with convictions for misde- The nation’s high court
meanor domestic violence heard arguments on Nov.
from gaining access to 7 and seemed likely to pre-
guns. serve the federal law.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer “As the Supreme Court
signed legislation Monday weighs whether to uphold
that prohibits individuals common-sense laws to
convicted of a misde- disarm domestic abusers,
meanor related to domes- Governor Whitmer and the
tic violence from possess- Michigan legislature are
ing firearms for at least an taking a clear stand: If you
eight-year-period. State have a history of intimate
law currently includes fire- partner violence, you have
arm restrictions for those no business owning a gun,”
with felonies related to John Feinblatt, president of
domestic abuse, but no Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer speaks to United Auto Workers members at a rally, Sept. 15, Everytown for Gun Safety,
law had existed for misde- 2023, in Detroit. Associated Press said in a statement.
meanor domestic violence. Firearms are the most com-
“These bills are based on demeanor domestic vio- all signed by Whitmer earli- District of Columbia. mon weapon used in homi-
a simple idea: if you have lence convictions is only er this year. The overhauled Federal law already pro- cides of spouses, intimate
been found guilty in court the latest firearm restric- gun laws follow two deadly hibits those charged with partners, children or rela-
for violently assaulting your tion added to Michigan mass school shootings that felonies or misdemeanors tives in recent years, ac-
partner, you should not be law since Democrats took happened in Michigan related to domestic vio- cording to data from the
able to access a deadly control of both chambers within a 14-month period. lence from purchasing or federal Centers for Disease
weapon that you could of the state Legislature and Democratic State Sen. possessing a gun. Control and Prevention.
use to further threatened, retained the governor’s of- Stephanie Chang, a lead But advocates have Guns were used in more
harm or kill them.” Whitmer fice last election. sponsor of the bill package, pushed for state-level laws than half, 57%, of those kill-
said at a bill signing in Kal- Legislation implementing said Monday that the latest that they say can be bet- ings in 2020, a year that saw
amazoo. “It’s just common red flag laws, stricter back- legislation would put Michi- ter enforced and won’t be an overall increase in do-
sense.” ground checks and safe gan in line with similar laws threatened by future Su- mestic violence during the
The eight-year ban for mis- storage requirements were in 31 other states and the preme Court rulings. coronavirus pandemic.q

After trying to buck trend, newspaper founded with Ralph Nader’s

help succumbs to financial woes

By DAVE COLLINS — After trying to buck a a small Connecticut news- sulted in our lowest deficit. closings or mergers over the
Associated Press national trend of media paper founded earlier this Now, our quest regrettably past year, according to a
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) closures and downsizing, year with Ralph Nader’s has become the impossible report released this month
help has succumbed to fi- dream. It sure was great by the Northwestern/Medill
nancial problems and will despite numerous stum- Local News Initiative.
be shutting down. bles, obstacles and heart- By the end of next year, it
An oversight board voted aches while it lasted.” is expected that about a
Monday to close the Win- Nader, 89, the noted con- third of U.S. newspapers will
sted Citizen, a broadsheet sumer advocate and four- have closed since 2005, the
that served Nader’s home- time presidential candi- report said.
town and surrounding area date, did not answer the In an interview with The As-
in the northwestern hills of phone at his Winsted home sociated Press in February,
the state since February. Monday morning. Nader lamented the losses
Andy Thibault, a veteran The Citizen’s fate is similar to of the long-gone Winsted
journalist who led the pa- those of other newspapers daily paper he delivered
per as editor and publisher, that have been dying at while growing up and a
announced the closure in a an alarming rate because modern successor paper
memo to staff. of declining ad and circu- that stopped publishing in
Andy Thibault, Editor and Publisher of The Winsted Citizen, carries “We beat the Grim Reaper lation revenue. The U.S. has 2017.
bundles of the paper into the Winsted News Co., Friday, Feb. 3, every month for most of the lost nearly 2,900 newspa- “After awhile it all congeals
2023, in Winsted, Conn. year,” Thibault wrote. “Our pers since 2005, including and you start losing history,”
Associated Press best month financially re- more than 130 confirmed he said. q