March for Our Lives’ recent report card giving many Utah legislators failing or low grades on protecting Utahns against gun violence highlights yet another example of Utah legislators not listening to the people who elected them.
The vast majority of Utahns — including responsible gun owners — support universal background checks, but the Utah Legislature didn't even let the bill get to the floor for a vote last year.
Utah law prohibits perpetrators of domestic violence and convicted felons from possessing a gun, but there is a loophole in current law that allows people to purchase a gun from an unregistered dealer at a gun show or online without a background check that would block the sale. Common sense tells us to slam the door on that loophole and H.B. 109, introduced by state Rep. Brian King, does just that. (H.B. 109 wisely exempts transactions among family members because they will know if a family member is responsible enough to own a gun.)
It’s time for action. We all need to write our legislators and tell them to support H.B. 109, the Universal Background Check bill.
Edwin Rutan, Park City