Utah Permitless CCW

Gun rights advocates in Utah are pushing a new law that would let residents carry loaded, concealed firearms in public without a permit.

In its newsletter this week, the Utah Shooting Sports Council listed the so-called “Constitutional carry” law as one of its top priorities for the 2011 Legislature, which convenes in January. The council says permits are “little more than bureaucratic permission slips” to exercise Second Amendment rights.

Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, who recently met with the group, intends to draft legislation that would render state-issued concealed carry permits unnecessary. And other lawmaker plans to run a bill in an attempt to regain the favor of states that have recently stopped recognizing Utah’s permits due to what they see as lax licensing requirements.

“Basically, the right to keep and bear arms is a personal right just like you have freedom of religion, freedom of speech,” Sandstrom said. “You don’t get a freedom of religion permit. As a reporter, you don’t get a First Amendment permit. So why guns?”-[source]