Gun bill clears Senate hurdle

A bill that would make it legal for concealed weapons permit holders to bring their guns into public schools cleared its first legislative hurdle today.

Senate Judiciary committee members advanced SB108 by a 4-2 vote to the full Senate a public debate that included arguments for and against the bill from parents, educators, weapon permit holders and gun instructors.

Sponsor Sen. Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said he sponsored the bill at the request of state prosecutors to clear up conflicts in state statutes.

Waddoups said current law banning certain dangerous materials on school grounds penalizes "law-abiding" citizens who also hold concealed-weapons permits and denies them the right to protect themselves while on school property.

"I don't want guns on school campuses; I believe we should have zero tolerance, " Waddoups said. "However . . . we're doing nothing to keep the criminals off the campuses, and we need to make that restriction before we keep the law-abiding citizens off the campuses."

Supporters of the bill said that if Utahns really wanted to keep guns out of schools, the issue, which has been often debated on Capitol Hill, would already be law. But none of the past efforts to ban concealed weapons from schools has succeeded.

The majority of gun incidents occur in private homes when owners fail to lock up their weapon, not on school grounds, they said.

"This bill does not allow (Columbine High School shooters) Harris and Klebold to bring guns to school," said John Spangler from the Utah Gun Collectors Association.

But Utah Schoolboards Association representative Sarah Meier said even her six children are against the idea. They saw the issue on a morning television news program and asked her why someone would want to bring a gun into a school, she told legislators.

"They said, Mom . . . it's not a good idea," Meier said.

Meier and other school organizations, including the PTA, spoke instead in favor of a motion from Sen. Patrice Arent, D-Salt Lake, that would have clarified statutes but included schools among other public areas where even legally concealed weapons can't be carried.

"There are some places where guns do not belong; schools have to be on that list," Arent said.

But senators rejected her proposal. Sen. James Evans, R-Salt Lake, said he was not convinced by the testimony he heard, none of which cited an incident of the problem.

"I think there is a false conclusion which states that safety equals no guns in schools," Evans said. "I wonder if that janitor at Columbine or if a teacher at Columbine had a concealed weapon how many children's lives would have been saved."

Waddoups added an amendment Friday that will expand the options that houses of worship have for notifying the public about gun policies, including notices in local newspapers or in church bulletins.

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