Lawmakers have aimed to change Michigan's fireworks laws since they went into place

Fireworks will light up the sky at July Fourth celebrations across Michigan in what has become a festive staple as critical to the menu for some as the barbecue spread. Meanwhile, lawmakers have engaged in a holiday tradition of their own.

Since the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act legalized fireworks sales in the state more than a decade ago, state lawmakers have introduced at least one bill every legislative session to amend the law ahead of the Fourth of July. After all, the day is known for its explosives. Founding Father John Adams in a July 3, 1776 letter wrote that Independence Day should be marked with “Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

In 2011, Michigan lawmakers voted by wide margins to bring fireworks sales to the state and allow residents to discharge them during holidays. While Michigan previously allowed residents to light up some novelty items such as sparklers, some in Michigan would set off fireworks they had purchased from out of state. Most recently, pending legislation from state Rep. Denise Mentzer, D-Mt. Clemens, would allow local governments to require fireworks vendors to display a sign giving clear notice of the days and times fireworks can and can’t be discharged in the community.

“It just didn’t make sense to continue having this ban in Michigan,” said state Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township. The legalization of fireworks sales in Michigan allowed businesses to access Michigan consumers, the state to collect some revenue from sales and made it easier for fireworks enthusiasts to purchase the explosives nearby.

“I think a lot of people were shocked — no pun intended — by how popular it was,” said 37th District Court Judge Steven Bieda, who voted for the fireworks legislation when he served in the Michigan Senate.

Current and former lawmakers including Bieda and McBroom have collectively introduced dozens of bills to change the law. The proposals have included expanding the authority of local governments to regulate fireworks, doubling the fines for discharging fireworks during times prohibited by a community and banning the ignition of fireworks within 200 feet of a nearby property. Most recently, state Rep. Denise Mentzer, D-Mt. Clemens, introduced a bill that would allow local governments to require fireworks vendors to display a sign giving clear notice of the days and times fireworks can and can’t be discharged in the community.

Currently, Michigan’s fireworks law bans local governments from regulating the use of consumer fireworks during certain days after 11 a.m.:

Legislation introduced in previous sessions would have allowed local governments to regulate fireworks during some of those windows, opening the door to a potential fireworks ban around certain holidays.

McBroom expressed disappointment with what he called some “bad actors” who light up huge mortars in the middle of the day and scare their neighbors and called for a better balance in the law that would give local communities greater authority to regulate fireworks in their own backyards.

The same year it was made a national holiday, bills proposed adding Juneteenth and the preceding day to the list of times local governments can’t enact fireworks ordinances. James Stajos, president and CEO of the Michigan fireworks retailer Pro Fireworks, told lawmakers during a hearing on the legislation held during a previous legislative session about a surge in demand for fireworks around Juneteenth starting in 2020. “It quickly became the second largest holiday in which we sell fireworks for,” he said. July Fourth remained the largest, he said. The legislation — like many of the bills to amend Michigan’s fireworks law — never received a vote.

Patrick Mifsud, 61, Owner of Exotic Fireworks in Dearborn Heights, operates both out of a storefront location and temporary tents. He noted that Michigan is home to a patchwork of local fireworks regulations. “There’s a lot of rules the cities make, and they’re all different,” he said. He raised specific concerns about the number of tents selling fireworks in the state. “There’s too many tents,” he said. “I prefer we get rid of all the tents, I keep my store, and we don’t do the tents.”

“I mean, people put up a pop-up tent on July Fourth and they don’t have a license but nobody knows because it looks like us,” Mifsud said.

Some efforts to amend the Michigan Fireworks Safety Act have succeeded, such as requiring retailers to provide notice of the days and times fireworks can be used, designating a fee collected from fireworks sales to fund firefighter training and adding new fines for violations.

While some in Michigan might look forward to fireworks celebrations for others, they can be a source of angst.

Pets can become anxious and even experience panic attacks. “So our companion animals like routine. Anything that’s outside routine can be jarring for them,” said Dr. Crystal Sapp, vice president of veterinary medicine for Michigan Humane. If it’s not too hot, making sure a dog exercises and is worn out before the fireworks start can help, she said.

Sapp also recommended calming wraps for their bodies, which can make animals feel like they’re being hugged, and pheromone diffusers. She also suggested keeping some white noise on in the background so there isn’t a sudden change from a quiet household to a loud one when the fireworks start banging. Medication is also available for animals who might have a severe reaction.

Fireworks can also trigger post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms for some veterans. “I’ve heard from veterans saying they can kind of prepare for that and know that it’s going to happen. It’s when they don’t expect it that it can be a problem,” said Jonathan Garvey, an Army veteran and the mental health and suicide prevention analyst for the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

Garvey recommended noise-cancelling headphones, noise machines and talking through reactions with peers and other veterans. He also noted that the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources have teamed up to highlight camping locations that are more isolated from large fireworks displays and offer a quieter July Fourth holiday.

Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.

Aurora Sousanis is a summer intern with the Free Press politics. She can be reached at asousanis@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lawmakers have aimed to change Michigan’s fireworks laws since they went into place

Reporting by Clara Hendrickson and Aurora Sousanis, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press

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