Gun-permit funds sought to run program

The head of the Utah Bureau of Identification urged lawmakers Wednesday to help prevent him from being an "outlaw."

Ed McConkie said that because the state puts its concealed-weapons permit fees into the general fund — about $650,000 every year — his department is left to run an $832,000 program on just $88,000 a year. In addition, the Legislature imposes a 60-day deadline for the bureau to complete criminal background checks.

The combination of paltry funds and the mandated deadline has resulted in a monthslong backlog in conceal-permit background checks, as well as professional identification checks for physicians, teachers and others.

McConkie said the bureau has been out of compliance with the mandate for four months now. "I'm being an outlaw," he told lawmakers during a meeting of the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Interim Committee, but he added he doesn't have much choice.

Utah's concealed-weapons program has been suffering some sizable growing pains. The number of conceal-permit applications has doubled to 16,138 this year from two years ago. What's more, 58 percent of those permit applications are coming from out of state.

Firearms experts say Utah's permit is gaining in popularity because it's cheaper than those in most other states, at $59 for the initial permit and $10 to renew every five years. The Utah permit is recognized by more than 30 other states.

McConkie said the answer is not to raise the permit fees but rather give the permit money back to the bureau so that it can run the program.

Rep. Curt Oda, R-Clearfield, called the situation "ridiculous." Other committee members agreed and gave a unanimous recommendation to reallocate the permit-fee funds to the bureau for the next two years and watch how the funding works out.

However, McConkie said lawmakers have expressed such support before, and in the last two years, bills proposing similar action have failed.

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