Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/10/2025) State House employees will be allowed to carry firearms in the House Office Building (HOB) starting Monday, under a rule change announced late Friday by House Business Office Director Doug Simon. 

The change in policy comes at the direction of House Speaker Matt Hall (R-Richland Township). Legal counsel signed off on the change, according to the letter. The move comes after former House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) banned staff from bringing weapons into the HOB, which is where most House members have their offices. 

Democrats also successfully pushed the Capitol Commission to ban firearms from the Capitol.  

The Senate passed legislation in lame duck to ban weapons from the Capitol, the Binsfeld Office Building and the House Office Building. An exception was written into the bill for properly licensed legislators, however, the bill was never taken up by the House. 

Asked to respond to the change in policy, Beau LaFave, a former member who is currently staff for Rep. Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock), quipped: “Oh, thank goodness. I spent the last two years trying to figure out how to smuggle all of these guns out of here.”