Utah gov backs limits on nonresident gun permits

[Admin]

What bullsh|t... How about Gov Herbert provides us with some crime stats showing non-res UT permit holders committing crimes in Utah.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gCqmfBFtxCgKGn5vzrfe-MHs9ZyAD9AUFC500

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Gary Herbert says he doesn't want his state to be a national clearinghouse for concealed weapons permits.

In the fiscal year that ended in June, just over 50 percent of the state's concealed weapons applicants were from outside Utah. Utah's permit is considered one of the most valuable in the country because it allows the holder to carry a hidden weapon in nearly three dozen states.

Herbert told reporters Thursday during a taping of his monthly news conference for public television station KUED that he's concerned about the state's ability to track permit holders outside of Utah. The event will be broadcast Friday night.

"I think we need to protect the Second Amendment, that's for sure, and Utah ought to stand tall in that regard," said Herbert, a Republican. "That being said, I don't want to be a wholesale clearinghouse for anybody who comes to Utah that we don't have the ability to kind of track ... that they then go some place else outside of our borders and conduct theirselves inappropriately."

As of Sept. 1, there were about 196,000 people with Utah permits, according to state records. About 116,000 of those were Utahns.

In Utah, law enforcement officials continually check criminal records against a list of permit holders, but they don't have the ability to do the same thing with every other state.

Most states that issue concealed weapon permits also allow people to carry hidden guns if they have a permit from another state with similar requirements to obtain a permit.

Among other things, Utah permit holders must be 21 years old, complete a firearms course, and have no convictions for felonies, violent crimes, or offenses involving drugs, alcohol or domestic violence.

Herbert said he would support tighter controls on concealed weapons permits, but he didn't specify what those controls might be.

"I'm not much into reciprocity, whether it's real estate licenses or gun licenses. I think Utah needs to find out what we think is important for Second Amendment issues and do what we think is right as a state right here in Utah. Let others do the same," he said.

Former Department of Public Safety Commissioner Scott Duncan had advocated to stop issuing permits to nonresidents, but the conservative-dominated Legislature rebuffed his attempts. Duncan resigned earlier this year for health and personal reasons.

Another effort — to end Utah's practice of certifying instructors who teach Utah's concealed weapons permit courses outside the state — was dropped in the legislative session that ended in March after opposition from the National Rifle Association.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

 

[pdm]

"Hidden" weapons... but yet if you wear it out in the open you get stopped by the cops every five feet.

 

[KMaurer]

What the hell is it with Utah starting to elect RINOs? They're not going to need to pass any new laws to shrink the number of new non-resident permits drastically. You've got to take a course from an instructor who's been certified by them to apply for a new permit. That used to require that you be an NRA or police instructor, and that you signed a notarized statement indicating that you had read their course requirements and agreed to follow them. By the time I had to renew my certification, they had added a requirement that you take a class from their people, which despite their original statements has only been offered in Utah. You've got to take this course when you first apply and every time you renew! So earlier this year I spent about $700 to fly to SLC, stay overnight and take their 4 hour class. Unless there's a really big demand for new Utah non-resident licenses, I won't be spending that money again when it comes time to renew in 2012 (assuming that guns aren't prohibited as cause of increased health costs by then).

As with a lot of these state programs (and everything in Massachusetts), not a penny of the money they rake in on permits goes directly to the agency actually doing the work; every cent of it just disappears into the general fund. IIRC, the unit at at Utah BCI that handles instructor and licensee applications, revocations and appeals, has a grand total of 3 people working there. You'd think they might be able to do a really good job of monitoring and investigation with maybe a quarter of the permit fees, but it's all undoubtedly going to "more important things". I wonder how they're going to pay for those wonderful things when then start clamping down on permits?

Ken

 

[buketduder]

get a FLA permit..thats what i did..too much hassle for Utah...and i can carry "hidden" in utah if i want with just my CT Permit..

 

[TomH]

"I think we need to protect the Second Amendment, that's for sure, and Utah ought to stand tall in that regard," said Herbert, a Republican. "That being said, I don't want to be a wholesale clearinghouse for anybody who comes to Utah that we don't have the ability to kind of track ... that they then go some place else outside of our borders and conduct theirselves inappropriately."

What? So ankle bracelets for permit holders if they leave the state???

I highlighted 3 portions that do not match up with each other. RINO.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

get a FLA permit..thats what i did..too much hassle for Utah...and i can carry "hidden" in utah if i want with just my CT Permit..

The last I checked, UT was good in WA and MN but FL was not. (Interestingly enough, two states I travel to).

 

[Admin]

The last I checked, UT was good in WA and MN but FL was not. (Interestingly enough, two states I travel to).

+1 which is why I got my UT permit.

 

[Jason]

The funny thing is if the Utah State government wants to avoid being a clearing house for carry permits the best way they could do so would be to get rid of the restrictions on their own citizens for conceal carry!

 

[cekim]

The funny thing is if the Utah State government wants to avoid being a clearing house for carry permits the best way they could do so would be to get rid of the restrictions on their own citizens for conceal carry!

Isn't amazing how simply most problems are solved when you actually find their root?