In the days after the massacre of 14 students and three staff members at a high school in Parkland, Fla., lawmakers in Utah were generally at a loss on how to respond — and were unable to pass any legislation to protect Utah schools.
What they were able to do — set up an informal Utah School Safety Commission to look into possible responses to the spate of school shootings — appeared to me like window dressing. A group that would meet simply to create the illusion of action while the issue fades from headlines.
In April, I wrote about how state Rep. Mike Kennedy, who assembled the commission, had been kissing up to gun advocates as part of his U.S. Senate campaign, and that including the state’s most prominent gun lobbyist, Clark Aposhian, made it clear the group wasn’t serious about coming up with real solutions.
I was wrong.
The commission’s recommendations last week were remarkably thorough and striking in the degree to which they were able to reach consensus on sensible steps that could prevent gun violence.
Take, for example, the red-flag laws. These laws would allow a family member or law enforcement to seek a court order to temporarily confiscate firearms from individuals deemed to pose an extreme risk to themselves or others.
Last week, the Delaware Legislature became the 11th state to pass a red-flag law and the sixth this year.
One of those states was Florida and here are a couple examples of how it’s worked: In April, police confiscated firearms from a man who was charged with stabbing a deputy, trying to provoke the deputy to kill him; and in May, officers took guns from a man who had threatened his mother, his girlfriend and her daughter with a hammer, smashed holes in the walls and shattered windows.
I think most would agree we would all benefit — including the potentially suicidal individuals — if those types of people don’t have quick access to firearms.
Last session, Rep. Stephen Handy, R-Layton, introduced a red-flag bill, but couldn’t get it out of committee. He’ll be bringing it back in the upcoming session, this time with the support of the Utah School Safety Commission, which made it one of its top recommendations.
Here’s another recommendation: Expand access to qualified mental health professionals to quickly assess the threat posed by students and get them the help they need.
Nearly every individual who has carried out a school shooting has made threats or bragged about their plan. These assessment teams would be able to judge the validity of any threats and connect the subject with mental health professionals.
Those recommendations were really the low-hanging fruit — although pro-gun groups have already expressed opposition to the red-flag bill.
But the commission didn’t shy away from more controversial proposals, even when the members were divided, and appropriately recognized the challenge in getting them passed. That includes things like requiring background checks for private gun sales, which represent the most frequent method of obtaining guns used in crimes.
A 2012 study of prison inmates convicted of gun crimes in states with the least restrictive laws found that just 13 percent got their weapons from licensed firearms dealers, leaving the vast majority of guns purchased without a background check.
Another proposal builds on work that has been done by Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, to encourage the use of trigger locks and gun safes. Part of the approach would be to give a tax credit for the purchase of a gun safe and part of it would be to make it a crime if a child gains access to an improperly stored gun.
Of course, the report from the commission is the easy part. The hard work still lies ahead and there will be plenty of opponents to even the most tepid legislation.
Perhaps Elizabeth Love, one of two high school students who served on the commission, said it best. “I believe it’s a great start,” she said. “I think there’s a lot more to do, but I think this is a great way to open up discussion and I hope some legislative changes come out of it.”
The commission’s report was just that — a great start — and now it will take courage and will for the Legislature to follow through. We’ve still got a long way to go.
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