Guns and gun laws on display at Capitol

Instead, he said, a gun "eliminates the monopoly of force from the government and the criminal element." The United States is "one of the greatest nations on Earth becaue the people have a voice, and the firearm gives us that voice," Fidler said.

The committee sent the bill to the full House for a vote, with only King and Arent opposed.

The debate over HB114 was more contentious.

Greene said his bill was more about state sovereignty than guns but "not motivated by an anti-federal government sentiment or by the desire to arrest federal officers." He said he was responding to what he saw as a frenzy of gun control efforts in Washington, D.C.

"We as a state have a duty to make our voice heard," Greene said.

He seemingly reluctantly agreed to the amendment removing language making it a third-degree felony for federal gun laws to be enforced in Utah, saying many people wanted even stronger language.

The Utah Sheriffs' Association had sent a letter to Obama warning they would not enforce federal gun control laws in the state and were willing to "trade our lives" to preserve the Second Amendment. The letter was not mentioned in the hearing.

Both Arent and King raised concerns about how the amendment would affect the constitutional note on the bill, especially since the fiscal note had been reduced from $700,000 to zero. 

After trying to postpone a vote on the bill until legislative staff could review the impact of the amendment, King successfully moved to adjourn the committee. The bill will now be heard at the committee's next meeting, set for 8 a.m. Friday.

Mathew Chappell, a nursing aide from Taylorsville, said he had taken time off work and hired a babysitter to attend the hearing and had hoped to speak on the bill.

"It's absolutely ridiculous," Chappell said of the vote being delayed.

Chappell wore his Rugar Mini-30 rifle over his shoulder to the committee meeting to show that gun owners aren't violent. He said he wanted to tell lawmakers "not to give in to the brute force of the federal government."

Two of the bills in the law enforcement committee generated no debate. But Rep. Paul Ray's proposal saying police can't cite people with disorderly conduct for openly carrying a gun absent other behavior drew considerable discussion.

"It seems to be a way to regulate guns when they don't have any other option," the Clearfield Republican said. "All we're saying is is it's not disorderly conduct."

Currently, a person may be charged with disorderly conduct for engaging in fighting or in violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior, regardless of whether a weapon is involved, according to state law.

Lawmakers considered adding the phrase "behavior which would cause a reasonable person to fear for the safety of any person" but ultimately did not before giving HB268 a favorable recommendation.

Resident Linda Newell said the bill is so broad that anything short of brandishing wouldn't be a crime.

"Sometimes merely carrying a gun is threatening and alarming," she said.

Charles Hardy, Gun Owners of Utah public policy director, said, "We believe this does draw a bright line so citizens know what is legal."

Although the law enforcement committee approved the bill, it could undergo changes before it reaches the House floor.

The Utah Shooting Sports Council supports the legislation in its current form, but Ray said he wouldn't be surprised if police departments don't support it. Ray unsuccessfully has spent the past two years trying to come up with a bill that all sides could agree on.

Two other bills in the committee sailed through without opposition.