LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has signed
laws exempting gun records from the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
The
legislation signed Tuesday codifies a 1999 Michigan Supreme Court
decision that found disclosure of gun registry records to be an invasion
of privacy. The information will still be available to law enforcement
officials for certain purposes, though there are new restrictions on
when police can access the records.
A log of who accessed the records and the reason for doing so also is now required by the new laws.
Michigan
lawmakers introduced the legislation backed by the National Rifle
Association after a New York newspaper published the names and addresses
of gun owners in two counties in 2012.