Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A bill that would allow people 18 or older to have a loaded gun in a vehicle without a concealed weapons permit is nearly dead.
Senate Bill 24 was tabled Friday by the Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee after the bill's sponsor, Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Lehi, used some political maneuvering to pass the bill while half the committee wasn't there.
Senate Republicans were caucusing after Friday afternoon's floor session ended to discuss with media a vote on a $100 million tax cut. But Madsen skipped the caucus and was able to move his bill up on the agenda while all the senators who opposed it weren't there.
After they arrived, his bill was reconsidered and tabled. It takes a two-thirds majority to untable a bill. Madsen acknowledged that he skipped caucus to advance his bill without opposition.
The Utah Chiefs of Police Association opposes the bill for fear it could potentially endanger officers and children. Madsen contends his bill would take an advantage away from criminals. He also said it would prevent law-abiding citizens from unknowingly committing a Class A misdemeanor by failing to store their firearms properly. Under current law, a weapon can be stored in a trunk but not in a locked glove compartment.
Madsen has the support of several Utah gun clubs and the National Rifle Association, which cite statistics that show violent crime did not increase in other states, including Missouri and Florida, when those states passed similar laws.
Nationally, serious violent crimes have been declining steadily since 1993, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Since then, 21 states have enacted laws or loosened restrictions on the carrying of concealed weapons.
------
On the Net: www.le.state.ut.us/2006/htmdoc/sbillhtm/SB0024.htm
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
