A Michigan lawmaker has proposed legislation that would allow lawful gun owners to carry concealed firearms into gun-free zones.

The legislation, sponsored by Upper Peninsula Republican Rep. Beau LaFave, would let all gun owners with concealed carry permits carry their firearms into current gun-free zones, such as churches, bars, and hospitals.

“As it turns out, criminals are ignoring pistol-free zones. I wish that were not the case, but we do not live in a Utopia,” LaFave said in a statement. “If the bad guys are going to carry guns into gun-free zones, I want to give the good guys the legal ability to protect themselves and their families.”

The four-bill package would eliminate the permit requirement to carry concealed firearms in places where the practice is currently allowed. To carry in gun-free zones, however, gun owners would still have to obtain a permit.

“It’s a disgrace that honest, law-abiding people are required to