SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) – One Utah lawmaker may soon make it easier for people to carry a concealed weapon without first obtaining a permit.
There are more illegal guns on the streets than police can keep up with. Representative Stephen Sandstrom of Orem has an idea on how to combat the problem.
“Right now, the gang bangers, the bad guys they can’t qualify for a permit. They are carrying without a permit anyway. The only ones being harmed are law abiding citizens. Some don’t have money or time to take a course to defend themselves.”
Sandstrom wants to make it easier for them by possibly changing the law to allow people to carry concealed loaded guns without a permit.
“All of the other rules would apply to them such as you wouldn’t be able to carry it in a church or at a school.”
“This legislation if passed would not allow any person who couldn’t currently possess a firearm get that firearm,” says Clark Aposhian, the chairman for the Utah Shooting Sports Council. He’s very much in favor of seeing the relaxation of gun laws in the state.
“It’s only a small step, but a huge step for lawful self defense in Utah.”
But for those against relaxing the current law, they say it’s absurd to allow anyone to carry a gun without requiring proper training, and they want to see stricter state gun laws. Aposhian says that would be a step in the wrong direction.
“Every progressive step towards self defense in Utah has been met with dire predictions by our detractors and none of those predictions has ever been realized.”
So with the flow of more guns on American streets more Utahns may soon be carrying a loaded one on them if Sandstrom has his way.
