In addition to state flowers, birds, and other animals, a group of 12 Republican lawmakers in Michigan have proposed another state symbol for the Great Lakes state: A gun.
Michigan House Republicans sponsored a bill that would designate the AR-15, a popular semi-automatic rifle, as the state’s gun and add it to Michigan’s list of state symbols. The move has upset some Michiganders and state Democrats, who view the decision as unnecessary.
“Considering we had the mass shootings at Michigan State and Oxford in the past couple of years. To try to make a weapon like that be our state gun is really just sad for the people of Michigan and embarrassing,” Democratic state Rep. Christine Morse said.
Republican state Rep. Brian BeGole, the bill’s sponsor, disagreed saying, “More and more often, AR-15 owners are ostracized and criticized for their perfectly reasonable and legal…
