Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- Utah is not following the lead of Oklahoma in talk of setting up a militia. A state militia is already on the books in Utah.
Oklahoma tea partiers are considering an all-volunteer militia to aid in state's rights issues. Utah Reps. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, and Mike Noel, R-Kanab, tell the Deseret News they haven't heard any talk of that here.
But the Utah Constitution includes an article, written in 1896, stating every able-bodied man between the ages of 18 and 45 is automatically enrolled in an "unorganized" state militia. Exemptions are in place for public officials, judges, firefighters, railroad workers and "idiots and lunatics."
According to the Deseret News, Noel, who has been leading the fight for access to federal lands in Utah, hasn't heard of anyone in Utah wanting to follow Oklahoma's lead. He tells the paper he wouldn't want anyone carrying guns. But, he said a volunteer force could be helpful in providing information on which rural roads are open to drivers.
