Utah Constitutional Carry: Lawmaker To Introduce New Carry Bill

A Utah constitutional carry bill might soon be introduced, thanks to a lawmaker who wants to make the Beehive State the 12th in the country to allow its citizens to carry a concealed weapon without a permit.

“The bad guys are already carrying guns,” Rep. Lee Perry (R-Perry) — who also moonlights as a Utah Highway Patrol lieutenant — told KUTV. “You should be allowed to carry open or concealed if you’re a law-abiding citizen.”

This isn’t the first time a Utah constitutional carry bill has been on the table. The Utah Legislature passed a similar measure in 2013, but Republican Gov. Gary Herbert vetoed it after law enforcement voiced concerns. According to Guns.com, another constitutional carry bill passed the Senate in a 21 to 6 vote last year, only to die in the House of Representatives without making it to the floor.

Now, Perry thinks constitutional carry should be re-considered in Utah, arguing that state citizens should be allowed to carry a concealed handgun without a permit, just like they’re already allowed to carry unloaded guns openly.

“Let’s do the right thing here,” Perry said. “Let’s not make people criminals that don’t deserve to be criminals.”

As Guns.com points out, however, making constitutional carry a reality in Utah — where 662,720 concealed carry permits have been issued since the end of June — will be a tall order, especially considering the fact that Gov. Herbert has already said he would veto such a bill if it came across his desk again.

If Utah passed constitutional carry, it would become the 12th state to do so, joining Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.