Gov. Rick Snyder vetoes CPL expansion

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Republican Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has vetoed legislation that would allow concealed weapons in churches, schools and daycare centers.

Snyder said in a release Tuesday that public venues need clear legal authority to ban firearms "if they see fit to do so."

Snyder told The Associated Press Monday he was scrutinizing the bill after Friday's massacre at a Connecticut school. He also drew on memories of a fatal shooting in his college dormitory more than three decades ago.

The legislation would have prohibited openly carrying guns in those places while allowing permit holders to carry concealed weapons. But they couldn't so if the locations declare themselves weapons-free zones.

The bill arrived on the governor's desk at 1 p.m. Tuesday, 24 Hour News 8 was told. He vetoed is shortly before 4 p.m.

The office of bill sponsor Sen. Mike Green (R-Mayville) confirmed to 24 Hour News 8 the senator was informed of Snyder's decision prior to the Tuesday afternoon veto.

Sen. Green provided this statement about the veto Tuesday afternoon:

"I am deeply disappointed that the Governor would prefer a confusing patchwork of gun laws around the state, rather than the one clear standard for law-abiding citizens that was established in Senate Bill 59.
 
"SB 59 banned open carry in the pistol free zones with a CPL, which is currently legal.  The bill only allowed concealed carry by the best-trained licensees in the nation after they got more advanced training and received an exemption from their sheriff.
 
"The message being sent to law-abiding folks with a license now is that if you wish to protect yourselves and your families from tragedy in these areas, you’ll have to carry openly without additional training.
 
"With this veto, concerns from all sides of the issue will not be addressed in a reasonable, responsible way.”