Panel OKs bill reducing penalties for concealed weapons on buses


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SALT LAKE CITY — If a person carrying a concealed weapon boards a bus in Utah without permission, they commit a felony.

But a House committee approved a bill Wednesday that would eliminate that law.

Rep. Norman Thurston, R-Provo, is sponsoring HB350 to eliminate what he says is an “unnecessary law” that puts too much at stake for Utahns who regularly carry items — such as a pocketknife or even a baseball bat — that could be considered dangerous weapons.

“To have that behavior that otherwise law-abiding citizens could be even charged with a felony I think just goes to far,” Thurston said. “It’s a pretty big penalty for somebody who’s possibly not even doing this knowingly.”

Current Utah law allows people to carry concealed weapons on buses or trains with permits or permission from transit owners, but without that permission, carrying a concealed firearm or dangerous weapon on a bus, train or in the vicinity of a bus or train stop is a felony, Thurston said.

In most cases it’s a misdemeanor to illegally carry a gun or another weapon on public streets, so the same should apply to people riding buses and trains, Thurston said.

“The difference between a misdemeanor and a felony is a pretty big jump,” Thurston said, adding felonies can upset people’s lives in many ways.

Chris Jenkins, a University of Utah student from Bountiful, said while talking with his friends, he’s noticed many of them could end up with a felony on their hands for simply carrying pocketknives while using public transportation.

“I would hate to have that happen to a lot of these young guys,” Jenkins said. “They’re in their 20s. They’ve got bright futures ahead of them. Having a felony could really mess that up — and for just carrying a pocketknife or even a multi-tool.”

Thurston said he’s been meeting with Utah Transit Authority officials, and he’s found that their current enforcement policies do not line up with today's law. So, he said, HB350 would make Utah statute consistent with Utah Transit Authority’s current enforcement policies.

“We’ve been challenged by the governor and others to find unenforced and unnecessary laws on our books and remove those,” Thurston said. “I haven’t been able to find anybody that has pointed to a single case where this law has actually been enforced. It’s certainly not necessary, so this is an opportunity for us to remove an unenforced and unnecessary law from our books.”

The House committee favorably recommended the bill 8-2. Reps. Sandra Hollins, D-Salt Lake City, and Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake City, voted against the bill with no debate or comment. Email: kmckellar@deseretnews.com

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