Here is the excerpt from the Utah Sport Shooting Council. It sums up SB251 pretty well:
Utahns, I would really ask you to get to know your local reps. We're such a small state that if you take the time to actually speak with them, you would be amazed how much power an idividual can have here.
Utah Shooting Sports Council URGENT ACTION ALERT February 4, 2007
-- Immediate action required- Contact Senate Rules Committee to OPPOSE
SB 251
***************
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED
With the University of Utah threatening to resume their lawsuit in
federal court, some Legislators are eager to give in to the University’s
demand for authority to impose a campus gun ban. This will cover ALL of
Utah’s state owned higher education facilities, not just the University
of Utah!
Their previous ban (declared illegal by the Utah Supreme Court) applied
only to University staff and students, but now they want to expand
their control to ALL PERMIT HOLDERS who enter University property for any
reason!
Existing laws cover violent criminal acts, threatening others with
weapons, and restrict carrying concealed weapons by anyone but permit
holders. The U’s President Young even admits this in his February 1, 2007
email, available at http://UtahShootingSports.com/ 07feb1.u.email.htm
Permit holders are all at least 21 years old, with a clean criminal
record, are not drug addicts or mental cases, have had training, passed a
FBI background check, and have their background checked again every
single day! Permit holders are at least as law abiding as police officers
and legislators, so they are not a threat to anyone at the
Universities. It is absurd that the Universities, or the Legislature are
discussing bans on permit holders!
Senator Greg Bell’s SB 251 (Higher Education- Concealed Firearm
Restrictions) was finally released today. You can read the full text at
http://le.utah.gov/~2007/bills/sbillint/sb0251.htm
This bill will allow Universities to make rules banning legally carried
self defense guns from the office of a faculty or staff member. This
could be twisted to apply to virtually any classroom, lab, locker room,
janitorial closet, student aid office, library or other place on campus
claimed to be an “office.” Theoretically, “reasonably proximate secure
storage facilities” would be required, but that provision is wide open
for abuse by having them several buildings away, if they bother to
install them at all. It also will make known the identity of people who
legally carry self defense weapons as they use these facilities.
Criminals will never comply with such a requirement, just permit holders!
This bill will also allow rules that “allow residents to have only
roommates who are not permit holders”. This can be an excuse to force
permit holders into high priced singles, or exclude them from campus
housing entirely. Imagine the outrage if they tried to exclude people based
on race, religion or sexual orientation instead of being a law abiding
permit holder!
ACTION REQUIRED- DO THIS NOW!!!
PLEASE CONTACT THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE RULES COMMITTEE IMMEDIATELY
BY PHONE, FAX OR EMAIL. (Please be polite and do not call after 9:00
PM)
Senator Bill Hickman, Chairman (Washington County)
[email protected]
Senator Peter Knudson (Box Elder, Tooele, Cache County)
[email protected] Home (435) 753-0043
Senator Chris Buttars (Salt Lake County) [email protected] Home
(801)561-0535
Senator Gregory Bell (Davis County) [email protected] (cell)
801-971-2001
Senator Darin Peterson (central Utah counties) [email protected]
Senator Gene Davis (Salt Lake County) [email protected] Home (801)
484-9428
Senator Ed Mayne (Salt Lake County) [email protected] Home (801)
968-7756
Fax number for all Senators at the Capitol: 801-326-1475
Senate switchboard at the Capitol: 801-538-1035
SUGGESTED FAX/ PHONE MESSAGE/ EMAIL:
- - - - - - - - - - -
Subject: OPPOSE SB 251 (Higher Education Concealed Firearms
Restrictions)
Dear Senator ___________ [insert name]
I urge you to hold SB 251 (Higher Education Concealed Firearms
Restrictions) in the Rules Committee.
1. This bill is a waste of the Legislature’s valuable time. It
proposes unworkable solutions to non-existent problems! This does nothing to
improve “campus safety.”
2. Contrary to the fears of some academics, permit holders have proven
themselves to be law abiding, non-violent citizens. Laws are already
on the books against violent crimes by them, or anyone else with a gun.
3. University offices neither need nor deserve more restrictions on
permit holders than any other state office, many dealing with far more
contentious issues than academic discussions. If there is a threat, it
is not permit holders!
4. Implied threats from the University of Utah to resume federal
lawsuits are reprehensible, and Legislators should not be intimidated by
them.
5. Far from making campuses safer, this bill only disarms the good
guys, making campuses more attractive to criminals.
6. If allowed to impose any restrictions at all, the Universities will
manipulate their rules to create a de facto campus-wide ban on LEGALLY
carried self defense weapons.
Please hold SB 251 in Rules, and use your valuable time on bills
dealing with real problems and real solutions.
Sincerely,
[your name here]
Utahns, I would really ask you to get to know your local reps. We're such a small state that if you take the time to actually speak with them, you would be amazed how much power an idividual can have here.
