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Recent poll shows most Utahns oppose ‘Constitutional carry’ law

Posted at 6:28 PM, Nov 24, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-24 20:29:10-05

SALT LAKE CITY – A new poll from UtahPolicy.com and Dan Jones & Associates shows that most Utahns believe a permit should be required to carry a concealed weapon.

Rep. Lee Perry, Box Elder County, plans to introduce a bill he calls common sense carry, which would allow Utahns to carry a concealed weapon even without a permit.

That set-up is often referred to as “Constitutional carry”, and there are already 11 states with similar laws on the books. But it’s an uphill battle in Utah.

Gov. Gary Herbert vetoed a similar bill in 2013 and was adamant he would veto similar bills if they came up again.

More than 500,000 people have concealed weapon permits from the Utah Department of Public Safety, but only about 40 percent of those belong to Utahns. The rest go to folks from out of state.

According to the recent poll, 75 percent of Utahns believe a permit should be required for a concealed carry. Among women that percentage was 81, while among men it was 68.

Rep. Perry argues that under current Utah law, citizens can openly carry a weapon without a permit. He said common sense suggests that if someone can have a gun on their hip, then they should be able to carry one more discretely as well.

Visit UtahPolicy.com for more on the findings from the poll.