Issues Questions and answers 2nd amendment and other rights

Where do you stand on the 2nd Amendment

I was asked to speak at a 2nd Amendment rights rally at the Utah Capitol February 8, 2020.

In the past I have been endorsed by the NRA-Political Victory Fund. I am a strong supporter of our right to protect ourselves.

I quoted this section from our Utah State Constitution:

 Article I, Section 6.  [Right to bear arms.]      The individual right of the people to keep and bear arms for security and defense of self, family, others, property, or the state, as well as for other lawful purposes shall not be infringed; but nothing herein shall prevent the Legislature from defining the lawful use of arms.

Notice the Legislature can define the lawful use of arms, but it can't take away the right of the people to keep and bear arms for security and defense. I spoke opposing the "Red Flag" laws being proposed.

I have strongly condemned the Salt Lake County Mayor's decision for an “operational change” to close the gun show background check "loopholes" at gun shows at county facilities.

I am running to replace the Republican incumbent who voted to support the county mayor, when the county council voted 5 vs 4 on February 11, 2020, a few days after the rally.

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2020/2/17/21136549/utah-gun-control-background-checks-gun-shows-salt-lake-county

I wrote this:
https://fredcox4utah.blogspot.com/2020/04/we-need-to-reverse-salt-lake-county.html



If you are a defender of  property rights, then why did you publicly oppose and speak against the Olympia Hills Project before the Salt Lake County Council vote?

A good explanation is at:
https://fredcox4utah.blogspot.com/2020/02/olympia-hills-project-too-fast-or-is.html

I proposed a compromise which was not voted on. I also believe it was wrong for the county to vote on this when the decision should have been up to a city annexing the property.


Where are you re: Government closing private businesses regarding the pandemic?

https://fredcox4utah.blogspot.com/2020/05/i-was-asked-to-speak-for-few-minutes-at.html


Check back for more updates.

In support of Gun Rights

Utah generally has good gun laws. We do need to look at why someone living on campus at BYU can't have a gun in their apartment to defend themselves. Why can someone with a CFP carry a gun on to a UTA bus or train, but the driver can't?

Utah Constitution Article I, Section 6. [Right to bear arms.]
"The individual right of the people to keep and bear arms for security and defense of self, family, others, property, or the state, as well as for other lawful purposes shall not be infringed; but nothing herein shall prevent the Legislature from defining the lawful use of arms. "

The Legislature has limited it so there is no "open carry" inside the property of a K-12 public school or college campus, without a CFP, so to carry a gun on to a public K-12 school or college campus, you need a concealed fire arms permit. The permit allows an individual to carry a firearm into public schools and college campuses.  The 1000 foot buffer was dropped in 2011.

 There is no reason the principal, custodians, or teachers can't obtain a concealed carry permit and carry a gun to protect themselves or their students.

Open carry doesn't allow a bullet in the chamber. If you want to carry a loaded gun with a bullet in the chamber, you need a concealed firearms permit.

You can not conceal carry without a permit. There are exceptions re: automobiles, backpacks, etc.

Allowing it so someone without a concealed firearm permit, CFP, can open carry, may be the only reason the Utah Legislature can require a CFP for someone hiding that they are carrying a firearm.

So unless you are planning on a State Constitutional Amendment, that person with the .45 colt strapped to their waist is going to stay, and I will fight support that right. 

I supported in 2011 and 2012 a law to protect those that Open Carry from charges of Disorderly Conduct. I spoke on the floor of the house to promote passage of the bill, quoting the Utah Constitution as to why the bill should pass, and mentioning that I knew one of those killed at Trolley Square. I voted against weakening the bill, and voted for passage, hoping there would be a way to make the bill better, or that it would improve what we have now. 

In 2014, a bill finally passed and was signed by the Governor. 

http://le.utah.gov/~2014/bills/static/HB0276.html

Many people don't want to get rid of the CFP requirement.


The US Constitution Amendment II
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

In 2012, I asked Legislative Research to verify that the current Utah Concealed Firearm Permit is constitutional under both the US and the Utah Constitution. They came back and said our CFP and Utah Constitution were OK, based on the last couple of SCOTUS rulings.

Utah is an open carry state, with very few exceptions. One is if you are going to hide that you are carrying a gun you need a background check. Many people I have spoken with, and there are exceptions, like our Utah concealed carry permit system. As someone torn on the issue, I included a question about constitutional carry on the questionnaire I sent out the beginning of  the 2012 session. Most residents in my area responded that they like the concealed carry permit for those that want to conceal that they are carrying. 

If the residents in my area want Utah laws not to require a CFP for those that want to conceal that they are carrying, I will then support it.

Protect Utahns gun rights, save 2013 SB 120

S.B. 120    Target Shooting and Wildfire Regulations -- Dayton, M.

I believe this bill is needed. It is unwise to let the executive branch use constitutional power assigned to the legislature without statute.


http://le.utah.gov/~2013/bills/sbillint/sb0120.htm

It however appears that the changes proposed by SB 120 seem to be broader or at least less defined than those the Governor in consultation with the legislative leadership agreed to last summer.

http://www.utah.gov/governor/news_media/article.html?article=7373

Perhaps adding some clarifications, something like:

The closure may include the restriction or prohibition of the use of firearms for target shooting in unincorporated areas of the state where the banning of non-traditional rounds, or exploding targets or devices, are not sufficient to protect against the extreme fire danger.

The banning of target practice areas are only in very specific areas described or shown on a state website and by a signed notification by the state forester after consultation with county commissioners or officials and other local officials and sheriffs.

The banning of fire arm target practice shall not ban the legal carrying of fire arms as protected under Art. I, 6.

Article I, Section 6.   [Right to bear arms.]

            The individual right of the people to keep and bear arms for security and defense of self, family, others, property, or the state, as well as for other lawful purposes shall not be infringed; but nothing herein shall prevent the Legislature from defining the lawful use of arms.


PS,
Target shooting with traditional copper/lead bullets do not cause sparks. It is rare for a bullet to hit a rock, causing it to hit another rock and that rock to rock impact sparks and creates a fire, or the bullet stopping so fast by hitting a rock to heat up to a high enough temperature to cause a fire.

The great majority of the target shooting fires caused in 2012 were not caused by traditional bullets alone.

Shooting exploding targets or non-traditional rounds, such as steel jacketed or steel core or tracer rounds are main the problem.

Shooting old TV's around dry grass during a fire danger is just plain dumb.