Governor establishes Michigan’s Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and invites applications

June 24, 2024

(State of Michigan, June 23, 2024)

LANSING, Michigan – On Thursday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order 2024-4 establishing the Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. This measure builds on the governor and Michigan Legislature’s actions last year to enact common-sense gun violence prevention laws, including background checks, safe storage requirements, extreme risk protection orders and tougher penalties for those convicted of domestic violence.

“Michigan residents deserve to feel safe wherever they go – whether they’re picking up their kids from school or shopping for the week ahead,” said Governor Whitmer. “That’s why I created the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, whose goal is to reduce the rate and frequency of gun violence in Michigan. Let’s build on the work we’ve done over the last year by passing common-sense gun violence prevention laws – background checks, safe storage, extreme risk protection orders, tougher penalties for domestic abusers, and greater investments in mental health and local law enforcement – to keep families safe. I want to thank all Michigan residents who have worked so hard to reduce gun violence, including the families of the four Oxford students, for working with us to make this happen. Together, we can reduce violence and save lives.”

“Too many Michigan families have lost loved ones to the tragedy of gun violence,” said Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “As Michiganders, we cannot accept this as the status quo. Governor Whitmer and I are proud of our work to address the root causes of gun violence through community violence prevention programs, Operation Safe Neighborhoods and historic legislation. The Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force will help us build on this progress, reduce gun violence and work toward safer communities.”

“Just this past weekend, a community not far from Oxford became the latest to experience another mass shooting. These tragedies have become all too common, but they cannot be the norm,” said the Myre and St. Juliana families. “We must honor the memory of our children and all those affected by gun violence by acting now. We thank Governor Whitmer for working with us on this important step to end gun violence through systemic change up front.”

Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention

Today’s Executive Order establishes the Michigan Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, housed within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The task force will identify the causes of gun violence, collect and report relevant data, make the most of existing resources, seek the views of various stakeholders, and recommend actions to save lives. The group’s members will represent a broad range of stakeholders, including state department directors, medical experts, law enforcement officials, tribal representatives, and more.

Click here to view the full implementing regulation.

To apply for appointment to the Task Force, click here and select “Gun Violence Prevention Task Force” on the application. All applications must be received by July 18, 2024 to be considered.

“Passing gun safety legislation is just the first step. The second step is ensuring these life-saving measures are effectively implemented to protect all Michigan communities from gun violence,” said Chelsea Parsons, senior director of implementation at Everytown for Gun Safety. “We applaud Governor Whitmer for her continued leadership in not only supporting legislative efforts and signing important gun safety legislation, but also putting the necessary infrastructure in place to ensure these laws can make a meaningful difference in preventing gun tragedies. The Governor’s Task Force on Preventing Gun Violence is a critical tool to ensure gun violence prevention laws are effectively implemented, and we stand ready to support her important work.”

“Gun violence affects Indigenous peoples at the individual, family and community level,” said Sandra Pilgrim-Lewis and Stacey Ettawageshik of Uniting Three Fires Against Violence, a nationwide coalition against domestic violence and sexual assault that addresses the disproportionately high rates of violence in tribal communities. “As such, it is imperative to include Indigenous peoples’ voices to ensure our issues and concerns are heard and perpetrators are held accountable without going unpunished.”

“Last year, we passed a policy to disarm domestic abusers – a policy that could have saved our daughter’s life. We know it is of the utmost importance to not only pass gun violence prevention policies, but to properly implement them,” said Rick and Martha Omilian, volunteer leaders of the Michigan chapter of Moms Demand Action and Everytown Survivor Fellows. “The importance of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force really cannot be overstated, especially for survivors and loved ones of victims of gun violence. Today, we continue, knowing our governor is on our side, fighting to keep communities across our state safe from gun violence.”

“The new task force lays a foundation for long-term work to end gun violence in our state,” said Maya Manuel, a recent MSU graduate. “I’m confident the work will continue so no one else has to experience what my classmates and I went through. Inaction is no longer an option.”

“The new task force continues Governor Whitmer’s unwavering commitment to the issue of gun violence,” said Ryan Bates, executive director of End Gun Violence Michigan. “This effort will ensure that every part of our government is focused on our shared goal of saving the lives of children and families. By working together, we can end gun violence.”

“Governor Whitmer’s administration has proven itself to be a beacon of defiance against the relentless scourge of gun violence,” said Alia Harvey-Quinn, founder and executive director of FORCE Detroit. “FORCE Detroit stands with the governor as she joins us and others in fighting for a freer, safer Michigan by creating a Gun Violence Task Force focused entirely on prevention. Community Violence Intervention (CVI) is not just a plan – it is an evidence-based solution that breaks political bipartisanship and saves lives. Supporting CVI programs means we are empowering front-line workers, like our team at FORCE Detroit, who are working day and night to reduce gun violence in Michigan’s communities.”

Sensible laws to prevent gun violence

In 2023, in response to the tragedies in Oxford and Michigan, Governor Whitmer and the majority of the Michigan State Legislature took action on gun violence and passed common-sense gun violence prevention laws that were supported by the majority of Michigan’s people.

In April 2023, Governor Whitmer signed legislation requiring universal background checks on all gun purchases and requirements to safely store guns around minors. These laws will help keep convicted criminals out of guns and keep children better protected at home.

In May 2023, Governor Whitmer signed a law creating extreme risk protection orders, allowing police officers, medical professionals and family members concerned about someone who might harm themselves or others to request a court order to temporarily confiscate their firearms.
In November 2023, Governor Whitmer signed a law prohibiting people convicted of domestic violence from purchasing, possessing, or transporting firearms for eight years after the conviction. This is intended to ensure that perpetrators of violence cannot harm others and to protect victims of domestic violence from further violence.

Protecting public safety

As a former prosecutor, Governor Whitmer has made public safety a top priority and has invested more than $1.5 billion in public safety since taking office. Revenue sharing to local governments has increased 29% since she took office. Communities can use these revenues to hire, train and retain first responders. Last June, the Governor also signed legislation to improve police officer training.

Last year’s state budget included $49.9 million in grants specifically for local public safety for the first time in our state’s history, and included more than $500 million in funding to further expand access to mental health services in our schools and communities.

In her 2025 budget proposal, she proposed an additional two percent increase in local government revenue sharing, funding for community violence intervention services to address the root causes of crime, increased investment in mental health, modernization of emergency response systems, reintegration programs for returning citizens, and more comprehensive investments in public safety.

The governor also launched Operation Safe Neighborhoods, a statewide anti-crime effort aimed at reducing gun violence by removing illegal guns from communities and the hands of people barred from owning guns due to prior criminal records.