03-13-2015, 07:09 AM
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Senate just passed a bill on Monday that would allow for people over 21 years old to carry concealed firearms without a permit. The biggest roadblock right now is that it does not have the approval of Republican Governor Gary Herbert. According to Herbert, should this bill reach his desk, it will be vetoed.
The same thing happened two years ago with a similar bill, which Governor Herbert vetoed. He says that the state’s current gun laws work well, and the current concealed carry permit system provides safeguards such as criminal court checks and requirements for firearms safety courses. Herbert feels no different about the constitutional carry bill that is being proposed now, SB256.
Governor Gary R. Herbert
Currently, Utahns can openly carry a firearm as long as it does not have a round in the chamber or is unloaded. As for concealed carry laws, Utahns must be at least 21 years of age and are required to pass a background check and take safety courses before receiving a permit.
I personally am not confident that this bill will pass under Governor Herbert. His concerns are understandable, and luckily, it is not hard, nor is it very costly to get a concealed carry permit in Utah; even so, there are disadvantages of needing a CCP. It makes no sense to me why I can have an openly carried gun on me without any qualifications, but as soon as I put on a coat, I need a state-issued permit and safety courses. The fact that a criminal may have a concealed firearm with no such qualifications, and that I as a law-abiding citizen must pay and ask for special permission from the state to conceal a firearm for protection from that same criminal, boggles my mind.
That being said, I agree with Herbert when he places importance and value in firearms safety courses. All law-abiding gun owners need to have proper knowledge of how to handle firearms.
The bill passed through the Senate with 21-6 vote. It is now on its way to the House, which is where it will probably pass through to the Governor’s desk. Though I am not optimistic about its passing, I don’t think efforts have gone to waste. It often takes a bill being introduced in multiple similar forms for laws to pass, and this may be just another step that is needed to eventually get a bill like this passed in Utah.
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Comments
7 Responses to “Bill for Permitless Concealed Carry Passes Utah Senate”
dave says:
March 12, 2015 at 3:57 pm
It shouldn’t even be a formality. The 2nd amendment already guarantees this civil right to all American citizens.
Reply
J.London says:
March 13, 2015 at 4:13 am
Actually the 2nd amendment (2A) only give the right to have arms, not to conceal them unless, conceal has a different spelling in the 2A wording of many years back that I missed.
Reply
Thomas says:
March 12, 2015 at 4:53 pm
I’m with you on being able to carry openly with no government paperwork versus putting on a jacket and a CCW being required. I’m just torn as to how to ensure that EVERYONE legally carrying a firearm gets even the most basic of training courses. I’m also a huge supporter of background checks. As a Libertarian-leaning Conservative, I’m an unwavering supporter of the 2nd Amendment, however, I’m also big on accountability and don’t want mutton headed gun carriers walking around with a weapon capable of indiscriminately killing my children should that mutton head mishandle his/her weapon. (See woman shoots self while trying to find something in her purse). A slippery slope to be sure.
Reply
dave says:
March 12, 2015 at 9:44 pm
When I was in HS back in the stone age, drivers training was a part of the HS curriculum. That’s not even a civil right. Anyone should be able to get publicly funded basic firearms training through their local sheriffs dept. Perhaps this could be funded through homeland security or the treasury dept. budget. Civil rights exercise cannot legally cost people money. That’s like a poll tax and it’s illegal. Civil rights are you’re by being a citizen here, you do not pay for them, and you do not ask permission from anyone to exercise them.
Background checks should be like showing and ID to vote, or paying your proper taxes. It’s a part of the citizenship process in society. Like firearms training they should be free to the individual other than they should be funded through your income tax as all other government obligatory workings should be. And only people who are not citizens should be able to have these rights denied. You’re either a citizen and in the club, or your not and don’t share these rights and responsibilities.
Reply
K. Lee says:
March 13, 2015 at 12:26 am
I agree with you. Everyone should have the right to carry open and concealed without permission. Yet, on the other hand education and practice should be received by all. Having a class available to all citizens and those that take it have some reward such as lowered insurance rates would be helpful. Just a thought.
Reply
Bill Cotten says:
March 13, 2015 at 4:17 am
Don’t take for granted that all people have the same judgement and knowledge. I fully believe in the second amendment but their should be rules. I do background checks every day in my shop (U.S. Patriot Firearms) and some of them have never touched a gun before. They don’t know the safety rules and would be very dangerous carrying a gun all the time. They could easily make the wrong decision in a life threatening situation and kill an innocent person. You would not want them to carry a gun. Most crimes are committed by people without concealed carry because law abiding people get permits, bad guys don’t because of their record. I don’t want the bad guys legally carrying a gun concealed or not. Training is also necessary. Would you like drivers to drive without a license. Both have deadly weapons.
Reply
J.London says:
March 13, 2015 at 4:24 am
One of my thoughts for the concealed carry is the needing at least of a formal class and range session to prove the future owner can actually shoot the weapon they plan on carrying, in the direction and onto the target they are trying to hit. In the classroom portion they should be taught the legalities of a involved shooting and the state laws that surround the carrying and use of a weapon.. The idea of many being sued even if it is called a justified shooting is enough to keep several from actually wanting to head out to the range for the shooting portion of the class. As for the liability of pulling a weapon and shooting and harming or killing another , most folks don’t realize it is not like TV or the movies at all. Once they are shown how a bullet tears thru a body ( A Movie) by seeing it from the coroners view, many again won’t feel it is now their cup of tea. That’s all is okay, I would rather see many decide it is not for them than have them carry something they cannot shoot properly and leave it unsecured in some manner where a child gets hurt from it. Happens all to often, just read the paper or web news daily.
The same thing happened two years ago with a similar bill, which Governor Herbert vetoed. He says that the state’s current gun laws work well, and the current concealed carry permit system provides safeguards such as criminal court checks and requirements for firearms safety courses. Herbert feels no different about the constitutional carry bill that is being proposed now, SB256.
Governor Gary R. Herbert
Currently, Utahns can openly carry a firearm as long as it does not have a round in the chamber or is unloaded. As for concealed carry laws, Utahns must be at least 21 years of age and are required to pass a background check and take safety courses before receiving a permit.
I personally am not confident that this bill will pass under Governor Herbert. His concerns are understandable, and luckily, it is not hard, nor is it very costly to get a concealed carry permit in Utah; even so, there are disadvantages of needing a CCP. It makes no sense to me why I can have an openly carried gun on me without any qualifications, but as soon as I put on a coat, I need a state-issued permit and safety courses. The fact that a criminal may have a concealed firearm with no such qualifications, and that I as a law-abiding citizen must pay and ask for special permission from the state to conceal a firearm for protection from that same criminal, boggles my mind.
That being said, I agree with Herbert when he places importance and value in firearms safety courses. All law-abiding gun owners need to have proper knowledge of how to handle firearms.
The bill passed through the Senate with 21-6 vote. It is now on its way to the House, which is where it will probably pass through to the Governor’s desk. Though I am not optimistic about its passing, I don’t think efforts have gone to waste. It often takes a bill being introduced in multiple similar forms for laws to pass, and this may be just another step that is needed to eventually get a bill like this passed in Utah.
Share this:
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Filed under In the News:, Latest News & Commentary, Rotator Category · Tagged with
Comments
7 Responses to “Bill for Permitless Concealed Carry Passes Utah Senate”
dave says:
March 12, 2015 at 3:57 pm
It shouldn’t even be a formality. The 2nd amendment already guarantees this civil right to all American citizens.
Reply
J.London says:
March 13, 2015 at 4:13 am
Actually the 2nd amendment (2A) only give the right to have arms, not to conceal them unless, conceal has a different spelling in the 2A wording of many years back that I missed.
Reply
Thomas says:
March 12, 2015 at 4:53 pm
I’m with you on being able to carry openly with no government paperwork versus putting on a jacket and a CCW being required. I’m just torn as to how to ensure that EVERYONE legally carrying a firearm gets even the most basic of training courses. I’m also a huge supporter of background checks. As a Libertarian-leaning Conservative, I’m an unwavering supporter of the 2nd Amendment, however, I’m also big on accountability and don’t want mutton headed gun carriers walking around with a weapon capable of indiscriminately killing my children should that mutton head mishandle his/her weapon. (See woman shoots self while trying to find something in her purse). A slippery slope to be sure.
Reply
dave says:
March 12, 2015 at 9:44 pm
When I was in HS back in the stone age, drivers training was a part of the HS curriculum. That’s not even a civil right. Anyone should be able to get publicly funded basic firearms training through their local sheriffs dept. Perhaps this could be funded through homeland security or the treasury dept. budget. Civil rights exercise cannot legally cost people money. That’s like a poll tax and it’s illegal. Civil rights are you’re by being a citizen here, you do not pay for them, and you do not ask permission from anyone to exercise them.
Background checks should be like showing and ID to vote, or paying your proper taxes. It’s a part of the citizenship process in society. Like firearms training they should be free to the individual other than they should be funded through your income tax as all other government obligatory workings should be. And only people who are not citizens should be able to have these rights denied. You’re either a citizen and in the club, or your not and don’t share these rights and responsibilities.
Reply
K. Lee says:
March 13, 2015 at 12:26 am
I agree with you. Everyone should have the right to carry open and concealed without permission. Yet, on the other hand education and practice should be received by all. Having a class available to all citizens and those that take it have some reward such as lowered insurance rates would be helpful. Just a thought.
Reply
Bill Cotten says:
March 13, 2015 at 4:17 am
Don’t take for granted that all people have the same judgement and knowledge. I fully believe in the second amendment but their should be rules. I do background checks every day in my shop (U.S. Patriot Firearms) and some of them have never touched a gun before. They don’t know the safety rules and would be very dangerous carrying a gun all the time. They could easily make the wrong decision in a life threatening situation and kill an innocent person. You would not want them to carry a gun. Most crimes are committed by people without concealed carry because law abiding people get permits, bad guys don’t because of their record. I don’t want the bad guys legally carrying a gun concealed or not. Training is also necessary. Would you like drivers to drive without a license. Both have deadly weapons.
Reply
J.London says:
March 13, 2015 at 4:24 am
One of my thoughts for the concealed carry is the needing at least of a formal class and range session to prove the future owner can actually shoot the weapon they plan on carrying, in the direction and onto the target they are trying to hit. In the classroom portion they should be taught the legalities of a involved shooting and the state laws that surround the carrying and use of a weapon.. The idea of many being sued even if it is called a justified shooting is enough to keep several from actually wanting to head out to the range for the shooting portion of the class. As for the liability of pulling a weapon and shooting and harming or killing another , most folks don’t realize it is not like TV or the movies at all. Once they are shown how a bullet tears thru a body ( A Movie) by seeing it from the coroners view, many again won’t feel it is now their cup of tea. That’s all is okay, I would rather see many decide it is not for them than have them carry something they cannot shoot properly and leave it unsecured in some manner where a child gets hurt from it. Happens all to often, just read the paper or web news daily.
Let God lead the way!
Give a man a fish he eats for one day, teach him to fish he eats forever!
Give a man a fish he eats for one day, teach him to fish he eats forever!
