Utah Enacts New Gun Laws

(Salt Lake City) Effective yesterday, new gun laws in Utah will allow citizens more freedom in possessing loaded handguns.

Specifically, the laws address carrying loaded, concealed weapons in vehicles and requirements for guns in employee and visitor vehicles on business property.

HB357 - Allows law-abiding Utahns to carry loaded, concealed weapons in their vehicles without permits.

SB78 - Requires business owners to allow guns in visitor vehicles if the guns have a trigger lock or are in a locked box.

Not everybody is pleased with the laws. Steve Gunn of the Gun Violence Prevention Center of Utah indicated that the statute allows 18-year-olds to have concealed weapons in their cars even though they don't meet the 21-year-old age requirement for concealed weapons permits.

"Apparently the policy is to encourage as many people as possible to have easy access to a firearm." [Gunn said]

I suggest that Mr. Gunn is exaggerating.

Companion posts at GunWatch and The Jawa Report.