Salt Lake City — The Utah State Legislature voted against the majority of Utahns who favor responsible second amendment rights early Wednesday morning by passing HB76, Concealed Weapon Carry Amendments. Maryann Martindale, executive director of the Alliance for a Better UTAH, has issued the following statement:
“There was never a clearer example of our state legislature being out of step with the majority of Utahns. In fact, according to a recent study conducted by BYU, fully 8 in 10 Utahns support the kind of reasonable oversight, such as background checks, that are currently in place for carrying a concealed weapon. To spell that out: over 80 percent of Utahns support background checks while 70 percent of our legislators are against background checks. What is wrong with this picture?
“Thankfully, Governor Herbert has hinted numerous times at his intent to veto this bill. We fully expect Herbert to do what is right by exercising his leadership role and following through. A petition asking Governor Herbert to veto HB76 went live this afternoon at www.speakuputah.org.
“Earlier this week we joined six other groups–Utah Parents Against Gun Violence, The Utah Gun Violence Prevention Center, Rape Recovery Center, League of Women Voters of Utah, Gun Sense: Action For Gun Violence Protection, and the American Association of University Women–calling on Governor Herbert to exercise his veto power. We reiterate this call by joining with the majority of Utahns who favor reasonable gun rights. Together we can speak up against HB76.”
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Alliance for a Better Utah | 801.557.1532 | www.betterutah.org
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The Alliance for a Better UTAH is a year-round, multi-issue education and advocacy organization providing resources, commentary, and action on important public policy matters.