Park City also wants to keep schools gun-free

Make that two school districts that are being vocal about their disagreement with a new state law that allows concealed-weapons permit holders to bring guns into classrooms.

Salt Lake City was the first, adopting a resolution in September that asks for schools to get equal "protection from weapons that is afforded private residences and houses of worship."

Park City School District's Board of Education began considering Tuesday a resolution that also asks the state to keep their schools gun free. Park City and other districts have policies that now reflect state law, but philosophical defiance of that law is gaining momentum.

"We reluctantly changed our policy to conform with the new law," said superintendent Dave Adamson. "However, because our board still disagrees with that law, we wanted to be clear about that disagreement." He'd like to see an exception made for schools.

Board members are expected to vote on a final resolution Nov. 18.

After that, the plan is to send copies to key lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, who sponsored the gun bill that won the governor's approval last legislative session.

Waddoups said he intends to seek clarification of SB108 in the next session, in part because of a court ruling that allows one university to continue its ban on guns.

Opposition to the law first emerged when the University of Utah, a state-funded public institution, took to court its 25-year-old policy that bans guns on campus. A 3rd District judge upheld the policy in August, but the Utah Attorney General's Office last month filed a notice of appeal.

"We're not trying to put guns all over campus," Waddoups said. He just wants to see that permit holders retain the right to carry guns in non-secured areas. That means all public schools.

"I don't want guns in schools either," Waddoups added. "But until we can keep all the guns out, permit holders will be allowed to carry theirs."

That attitude hasn't set well with some school districts.

Salt Lake City was the first district to fire a shot at the law. Not just stopping at a resolution, the board of education has gone so far as to order signs that "urge" permit holders to not bring their weapons into school.