Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners v. City of Ferndale

662 N.W.2d 864, 256 Mich. App. 401
CourtMichigan Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 13, 2003
DocketDocket 242237
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 662 N.W.2d 864 (Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners v. City of Ferndale) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners v. City of Ferndale, 662 N.W.2d 864, 256 Mich. App. 401 (Mich. Ct. App. 2003).

Opinion

Hoekstra, J.

At issue in this case is whether local units of government are precluded from enacting and enforcing ordinances that make local public buildings gun-free zones. We hold that MCL 123.1102 preempts local regulation of this kind, and contrary to defendants city of Femdaie and city clerk Karen Pedro’s argument, MCL 28.425c does not return to local units of government the authority to regulate in this area. Accordingly, we reverse the circuit court’s order granting summary disposition in favor of defendants, and upholding the validity of defendants’ ordinance prohibiting the possession or concealment of firearms in municipal buildings.

I. FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

On November 12, 2001, pursuant to its general police power, the city of Femdaie enacted Ordinance *403 No. 945 (the Ferndale ordinance), which prohibits the possession or concealment of weapons in all buildings located in Ferndale that are owned or controlled by the city. 1 The Ferndale ordinance exempts from its prohibitions federal, state, and local law-enforcement officers, Ferndale auxiliary police officers, and retired police officers. The Ferndale ordinance also provides an exception concerning the participation in a city gun buy-back program or the turning in of a weapon to the city for disposal or destruction.

On February 4, 2002, plaintiffs, Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners (mcrgo), and Jean Bruce, Alexander Kasa, and Greg Neu, who are members of mcrgo and residents of Ferndale, filed a complaint against defendants regarding the Ferndale ordinance, seeking injunctive and declaratory relief. In their complaint, plaintiffs alleged that the Ferndale ordinance is unconstitutional under the Michigan Constitution, Const 1963, art 7, § 22, and is preempted by state statutory law, including MCL 28.421 et'seq. and MCL 123.1101 et seq. More specifically, plaintiffs alleged that the Ferndale ordinance is unlawful because it is in conflict with the state’s statutory scheme in that it expands the exclusive statutory list of public places where concealed firearms are prohibited, 2 because “the Legislature clearly and unequivocally prohibited local units of government from regulating ownership, registration, purchase, sale, transfer, transportation or possession of pistols or other *404 firearms,” and because it is in direct conflict with MCL 123.1102.

In response to plaintiffs’ complaint, defendants filed a motion to dismiss on the grounds that plaintiffs lacked standing to bring the lawsuit because they have not suffered an injury in fact, and that plaintiffs were not entitled to injunctive relief because their complaint asserts that an adequate remedy at law exists. 3 Defendants maintained that the Femdale ordinance was enacted as a valid exercise of the city’s police power pursuant to Const 1963, art 7, § 22; the Home Rule City Act, MCL 117.1 et seq.-, and Chapter II, § 2(4) of the Femdale Charter, and they sought summary disposition pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(4), (7), (8), and (10).

In their response to defendants’ motion to dismiss, plaintiffs sought relief under MCR 2.116(1), arguing that summary disposition was proper pursuant to MCR 2.116(C)(9) and (10). Relying mainly on MCL 123.1101 et seq. and MCL 28.421 et seq., plaintiffs argued, in essence, that the Femdale ordinance is in direct conflict with the state statutory scheme and that the ordinance is preempted by the state statutory scheme. Contrary to plaintiffs’ assertions, defendants argued in a response brief that state law does not preempt the Femdale ordinance; rather, the ordinance is merely an extension of the prohibition imposed by the state, and thus does not conflict with Michigan statutes.

During the June 12, 2002, hearing on the motions, the trial court found that the Femdale ordinance was *405 not preempted by state law and that the ordinance is merely an extension of the prohibition already imposed by state law on carriers of concealed weapons. Thus, the trial court denied plaintiffs’ motion for summary disposition and granted summary disposition in favor of defendants pursuant to MCR 2.116(f)(2). Thereafter, the trial court entered an order dismissing plaintiffs’ complaint with prejudice and without costs. This appeal ensued.

H. STANDARD OF REVIEW

We review de novo the trial court’s decision to grant or deny summary disposition. Pohutski v City of Allen Park, 465 Mich 675, 681; 641 NW2d 219 (2002); Spiek v Dep’t of Transportation, 456 Mich 331, 337; 572 NW2d 201 (1998). Likewise, we review de novo statutory interpretation, which involves a question of law. Oakland Co Bd of Co Rd Comm’rs v Michigan Prop & Cas Guaranty Ass’n, 456 Mich 590, 610; 575 NW2d 751 (1998).

III. ANALYSIS

Before analyzing the issue raised in this case, we briefly note what is not at issue here is whether governmental entities in Michigan generally have the power to create gun-free zones. This Court has held that the constitutionally guaranteed right to bear arms, Const 1963, art 1, § 6, is not absolute, but “may yield to a legislative enactment that represents a reasonable regulation by the state in the exercise of its police power to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Michigan citizens.” Kampf v Kampf, 237 Mich App 377, 383 n 3; 603 NW2d 295 (1999), citing People *406 v Smelter, 175 Mich App 153, 155-156; 437 NW2d 341 (1989). Plaintiffs do not argue here, nor did they argue before the trial court, that the Femdale ordinance is an unreasonable infringement on their constitutional right to bear arms. As the Michigan Municipal League aptly stated in its amicus curiae brief, “[t]his is not a gun rights case.” Further, this case is not about public-policy choices that our Legislature has made with respect to where guns should or should not be allowed. Where statutory language is clear, “it is not the role of the judiciary to second-guess a legislative policy choice; a court’s constitutional obligation is to interpret, not rewrite, the law.” Ambs v Kalamazoo Co Rd Comm, 255 Mich App 637; 662 NW2d 424 (2003).

With these understandings in mind, we turn to the case at hand. The issue before us concerns the power of local units of government to enact and enforce ordinances or regulations and the limitations on that power. Accordingly, we begin our analysis by reviewing the legal context from which such powers are derived.

A. LEGAL CONTEXT

Under our state constitution and statutes, cities such as Femdale have the authority to adopt resolutions and ordinances that have the force of law relating to their own concerns, property, and government. Const 1963, art 7, § 22 grants broad authority to cities, providing in pertinent part:

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Bluebook (online)
662 N.W.2d 864, 256 Mich. App. 401, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/michigan-coalition-for-responsible-gun-owners-v-city-of-ferndale-michctapp-2003.