Gov. Whitmer vetoed legislation to allow gun permits to be issued during emergencies

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed legislation that would have required county clerks including clerks in Gogebic and Ontonagon Counties to keep processing concealed pistol licenses during state-declared or locally declared emergencies. Republican lawmakers passed the bill after receiving complaints that clerks refused or delayed issuing or renewing permits when the pandemic struck. In a letter to legislators Friday, the Democratic governor said the measure would have mandated that clerks issue licenses without regard to the scope or gravity of the emergency or whether in-person services would jeopardize clerks. Republican Sen. Lana Theis called the veto disappointing for gun owners and said Second Amendment rights can’t be infringed.