One Thousand Utahns petition legislators to support gun bills

Multiple firearm-related bills will be considered today in committees

Salt Lake City, UT, February 20, 2013 — Launched just a few days ago, a petition in support of several firearm-related bills has received over 1,000 signatures. Sponsored by Libertas Institute, it allows citizens to directly email legislators on the two committees which will be hearing the proposed legislation.

“Multiple state legislatures, along with the United States Congress, have seen new legislation introduced which will increasingly regulate and restrict an individual’s right to obtain, own, and use a gun,” said Connor Boyack, president of Libertas Institute. “Utah has the fortunate opportunity to oppose this trend and support important laws that will strengthen, rather than violate, this fundamental right.”

The three bills which the petition supports are:

• HB76, which will allow any adult over 21 to conceal carry a weapon without a government permit;
• HB268, which will make sure that police officers cannot charge a person with “disorderly conduct” for merely open carrying a weapon; and
• HB114, which will uphold the Second Amendment as well as Article I Section 6 of the Utah Constitution, both of which declare that the individual right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. This bill states that no future federal gun control law which restricts this right will be valid in Utah.

“At a time when paranoia and illogical arguments run rampant calling for more regulations of firearms and their accessories, Utah legislators should stand firmly on principle and take steps to protect the individual right to own, carry, and defensively use a weapon,” said Shiloh Logan, director of the Institute’s Center for Individual Liberty. “These three bills offer them the opportunity to do exactly that.”

All three bills are scheduled for committee meetings at 2pm today.