Michigan Legislators Vote to Legalize Switchblade Knives
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.21.17
Michigan legislators voted to lift a longstanding bill that currently bans the possession of switchblade knives, a bill that one Michigan senator says is no longer necessary.
MLive reports Sen. Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge,) who sponsors Senate Bill 245, stated:
“For years we’ve had on the books it’s a violation to have a knife with a mechanical way of opening it. And this has led to a lot of people being charged with a 1-year, high misdemeanor and it really isn’t necessary.”
Critics of the current legislation say it was mostly motivated by wrongful depictions created by Hollywood in movies such as “West Side Story.”
According to The Detroit News, Sen. Jones, who is a former sheriff, said in a legislative committee hearing last month “If a guy were in a gang fight today and pulled out a knife, he’d probably get shot.”
“They’re currently being sold all over Michigan, and I think it would be a terrible mistake to give a young person a year in prison for buying something they think is legal,” Jones said following his bill getting past the upper chamber in a 36-1 vote.
The bill, as of today, is pending and awaiting a hearing scheduled for next week.
Here’s a quick video from MLive that demonstrates the difference between a switchblade and a spring-assisted knife:
