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SALT LAKE CITY -- Utahns don't want the gun-free zone around schools eliminated, a Deseret News/KSL poll found.
A bill before the Utah Legislature proposes to lift a 1,000 foot gun-free perimeter around schools. But a statewide survey by Dan Jones & Associates found 60 percent of Utahns oppose the move.
Under the bill, individuals would be allowed to carry guns, openly or not, around the perimeter of schools.
Rep. Curtis Oda, R-Clearfield, said he drafted HB75 because of the number of "inadvertent criminals" the gun-free zone creates.
"Your car could break down in front of the school," Oda said. "As soon as you pull [a gun] out of your car, you broke the law."
Just 36 percent favor lifting the gun-free zone and 4 percent don't know, the poll, conducted February 8-10, found. The poll had a sample size of 496 and a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent.
HB75 would not affect individuals with concealed weapons permits, who are currently allowed to carry a gun on or around school property.
Clark Aposhian, chairman of the Utah Shooting Sports Council, sees the lack of support for lifting the gun-free zone as "an education issue." If the bill passes, he said, there would not be an increase in guns seen around schools.
Do you favor or oppose eliminating the 1,000-foot gun free zone currently in place around public schools?
| Strongly favor | 24% |
| Somewhat favor | 12% |
| Somewhat oppose | 13% |
| Strongly oppose | 47% |
| Don't know | 4% |
During debate Tuesday in the House, Rep. Jen Seelig, D-Salt Lake, proposed an amendment that would make any individual who prompted a school to go into "lockdown" as a result of "recklessly" carrying a firearm, whether they had a permit or not, to be financially liable for the lockdown.
The amendment narrowly passed.
Seelig said the amendment is reflective of "most rationally-minded Utahns" who don't want individuals carrying guns openly around schools with the goal of proving a point.
Oda argued that the amendment needed to go into the disorderly conduct code -- not his bill.
Seelig said she didn't support the bill, but proposed the amendment to "make a bad bill less bad."
There have not been any problems with guns around schools in states that don't have gun-free zones, Oda said.
The bill would still require an individual to have a concealed weapons permit or other form of approval in order to carry a gun on school property.
After the amendment passed, Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, immediately made a motion to circle the bill and delay a final vote. He said he didn't think the representatives understood what the bill was going to do.
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Story written by Amanda Verzello, with contributions from John Daley.
