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.

ObamaCare

Someone was recently asking for a copy of the "ObamaCare" bill.

This is what I found:

HR 3962 was eventually passed as a different bill later that year. It is about 30 pages or less and you don't want it. You also don't want the ACA, you want:

the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) signed into law March 23, 2010 plus the amendments that are from the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, signed into law March 30, 2010. I believe the .pdf file I linked below does exactly that. I haven't found a better version.  There are apt to be changes since then, so it isn't current law.

http://housedocs.house.gov/energycommerce/ppacacon.pdf

For some really good information, see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act

 

The Caucus System in Utah

The caucus system is the best way to make sure grass roots movements can work over large amounts of money. It is the only way someone with $100,000 can go against someone with $2,000,000 in election funds.

There were about 60,000 republicans in Utah that went to the neighborhood caucus elections in 2010 to elect the 3500 delegates. Add to those numbers to democrats and the primary elections and certainly the municipal elections didn't do any better in voter representation.

In 2012 the number showing up again doubled. You look at primary turnout and you will see that few voters would decide.

Most people that want the caucus system changed, there are exceptions, are frustrated that they don't have as much power as people that show up to the neighborhood election caucus meetings. It doesn't take money, you just have to show up.

What we need are more people getting involved earlier, not shutting down the system that protects us from power hungry people wanting to take over.

 If you are going to run as a democratic candidate, you have to comply with their rules. If you are going to run as a republican, you have to comply with their rules. If you want to run and not have those rules, you can run as an unaffiliated or independent. There are also 3rd party. This is an attempt to change the party rules by state law, bypassing the party and is even an attempt to change the law bypassing the legislature. That is called being a pirate. 

Bypassing the Caucus / Convention System will NOT create more participation. Between one of every 4 or 5 republicans attended their neighborhood election caucus meeting this last year. One is every three told a KSL poll they were involved or attending. There are 4000 state delegates that spend countless hours vetting candidates to be on the ballot. They are selected by those that attend the neighborhood election caucus meeting. You just have to come.

When people realize this will give them less of a chance to participate but give media and power brokers more power, they will not sign any initiative. It sounds good, but so did the unethical reform proposed as "ethical reform" which was a power grab by a few. That is what this is. It doesn't mean things can't be better, but this isn't the way to do it.

Utah Public Education Funding

It is crucial that Utah Public Education continue to do amazingly well with the resources we have using great teachers, innovation, and technology.

Education in Utah must be and is a priority. With approx. 600,000 K-12 students in Utah, It takes a lot of commitment. Out of the $5 Billion total "State" funds we invest approx. $2.5 Billion to K-12 Public Education and approx. $750 Million to Higher Education. Even with $13 Billion to work with including "State" funds and also funds for Federal Programs and others, we invest $3.7 Billion to K-12 Public Education and $1.4 Billion for Higher Education.

With the currently available resources, Utah does not have enough money for the demands for Public Education, Transportation, Water, Public Safety, Energy and others.  Raising Taxes isn't the answer as that can create bigger government and slower economic growth. 

Teachers often do not have the supplies they need, and in most cases deserve more pay for the critical work they do. Education Funding is too complex and funding doesn’t seem to make it to the classroom.

The above numbers were based on this report. start with page 13:
http://le.utah.gov/lfa/reports/bbib/APPEXE_03-08-12_5.pdf

Keep the lower sales tax on food

People that are working, but struggling to have enough money to pay bills often target a mortgage/rent, utilities, transportation and then food. When someone walks into a store with $3 left to buy food, you don't tell them it is OK they don't have enough money to buy milk or chicken, they will get $80 at the end of the year. Raising the tax on food increases the number of people needing help from the community, church or government and is the wrong thing to do.

I am hopeful this will not pass the house this year, like an increase in the food tax didn't pass the house in 2011 even though it passed the senate.

The proposal that passed the senate in 2011 and was killed in the house was to lower the overall sales tax and raise the tax on food to match. It was to be no overall increase on tax.

That still would have hit fixed income individuals and those struggling to make it in the current economy. 

Utah has good gun laws

Utah has good gun laws

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.

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.

See:
http://le.utah.gov/code/TITLE76/htm/76_10_050505.htm

Additional comments based on this article:

 http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/55635077-82/gun-public-firearm-weapon.html.csp

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. 

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

Now Rep. Paul Ray's bill, 2013 HB 268 , Disorderly Conduct Amendments, might make it so the person with the 223 rifle strapped to their back at JC Penney might get in trouble with the law, but that same bill is going to make sure his Glock strapped to his waist is perfectly fine, as long as he isn't doing something scary with it. Without the CFP the gun can't have a bullet in the chamber, but that doesn't take too long to load in most cases.

So unless you are planning on a State Constitutional Amendment, that person with the 45 colt. strapped to their waist is going to stay. You should be grateful that a CFP is required, unless the principal gives permission, to carry a gun on to a public K-12 school. The good news is that the janitor, teacher, parent, or even the principal could be packing using a CFP. Hopefully the next time some person off their meds gets ready to shoot at a crowd, they are dropped on the spot by someone else, whether or not they have a CFP or just a glock strapped to their waist.

Remember to change the state constitution you would need 2/3 of the legislature, many of who have CFP. Some of whom would love to take things a step further and get rid of the requirement of a CFP to conceal carry.

Modifying our state constitution on firearms may not be an option as we do have a 2nd amendment for the US Constitution. While some would love to change that, that isn't going to happen .
Instead of being freaked out about the guns, why don't you take a NRA safety course. You don't have to own a gun. The NRA does a great job of teaching gun safety to scout leaders and others that teach children how to safely handle guns.

Guns are tools. Most people don't seem to mind a hammer strapped to the waist of a contractor.

For my thoughts on Constitutional Carry, see:
http://fredcox4utah.blogspot.com/2012/07/constitutional-carry-thoughts.html

Against Recall Elections in Utah

There is a proposal to change Utah law, or more likely the Utah Constitution to allow or require a system to recall an elected official mid term.

I do not agree with this change. We already have impeachment and other proceedings to remove someone for the abuse of office.

We have elections for a reason.  It would lessen the importance of elections. We live in a republic.

"Opponents argue that it can lead to an excess of democracy, that the threat of a recall election lessens the independence of elected officials, that it undermines the principle of electing good officials and giving them a chance to govern until the next election, and that it can lead to abuses by well-financed special interest groups."

The best information I know on recalls is at:
http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/recall-of-state-officials.aspx