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SALT LAKE CITY — A state lawmaker says peacefully carrying a concealed weapon on a bus or train should be no different than carrying a gun or knife on the street.
A Utah hijacking law makes it felony to conceal a dangerous weapon, which Rep. Norm Thurston, R-Provo, said could be a pocketknife or a baseball bat in a gym bag, on a bus or train.
"If somebody's getting on the bus with a dangerous weapon with intent of hijacking the bus, the least of our worries is that they actually brought a weapon with them," Thurston told the House Transportation Committee on Thursday.
HB67 eliminates the prohibition of carrying a gun on a bus with no criminal intent.
Under Utah law, if someone is carrying a gun or another weapon illegally on public streets, it's a misdemeanor in most cases. But on a bus or train, it's a felony, Thurston said.
"If it's presumed legal on the street, it should be presumed legal on a bus or train," he said. "This is all about making it equitable."
The committee passed the bill to the House floor on a 9-1 vote.
Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay, voted against the measure. She said the penalties aren't the same because there's a difference between carrying a weapon on the street and in a confined space like a bus.
"If you're out on the street or in McDonald's and somebody has a gun, you see it, you feel uncomfortable, you can leave," Moss said.
Rep. David Lifferth, R-Eagle Mountain, said he likes the idea of having a level playing field, in this case, giving people the opportunity to defend themselves and not putting law-abiding citizens at a disadvantage.
The House passed the same bill last year but it didn't get through the Senate. Email: romboy@deseretnews.com Twitter: dennisromboy
