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SALT LAKE CITY -- A Utah lawmaker wants to require gun safety training in all state schools.
Sen. Dennis Stowell, R-Parowan, made his pitch to the Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee Wednesday.
A 1996 law encouraged schools to teach gun safety, but Stowell says fewer than 10 percent of students get the training.
"Our concern is, of course, for gun safety and for training students when they're faced with a firearm," Stowell said in Wednesday's hearing. "[It's] so they know how to react. It's not too uncommon for a student to show up with a gun, and it catches everyone by surprise."
Stowell says he is motivated by a number of accidents, including the death of a 6-year-old Iron County girl who found a gun under a bed. He asked for lawmakers' feedback before he drafts a bill to present this fall.
Some on the committee expressed concerns about mandating school districts train their students.
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com
