Both the Washington Post and the New York Times are running stories on the evils of the Utah permit. The Brady Campaign is naturally standing by to demonize the idea:
But Utah’s permit program has its critics. Peter Hamm, a spokesman for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, asserted that Utah’s policy was dangerous because many states were lax in submitting felony and mental health records to the federal database used for background checks.
“I think it’s absolutely shameful and ludicrously irresponsible to say that anybody anywhere who wants one of our concealed-carry permits, and thus will be able to carry legally in dozens of states, can just log on to our Web site and pay 60 bucks and that’s all she wrote,†Mr. Hamm said.
I agree with Peter that this is a less than ideal situation. I look forward to him joining with us for expanding reciprocity so that individuals don’t feel the need to seek a license to carry out of state.
My guess is that they smell a post Heller/McDonald “full faith and credit” play in the air for universal reciprocity, and are positioning their buckets of poison near the wells.
Thee author posted on PAFOA asking for people to interview:
http://forum.pafoa.org/concealed-carry-145/104243-question-journalist-about-utah-ccw.html
While Utah is planning on keeping their permit system, a legislator recently announced plans to introduce a bill that would follow Vermont’s, Alaska’s and now Arizona’s example: Constitutional Carry.
I wonder how Peter Hamm would feel about that!
(It would also be nice to see reciprocity agreements with Constitutional Carry in all fifty states…)
Well the Utah non resident license is only honored in 29 states, so both articles got that wrong, and Hamm referring to “logging on” Utah dropped on-line classes 3 or 4 years ago.
If they were doing a state background check, they would complain, that it should be a Federal BG, as they are “better qualified”, more chicken little yapping.
Yep, I don’t see why I can drive cross country with a Massachusetts driver’s license (That I got by simply submitting my Maine license, and never took a single MA driving test/exam) but even with 3 carry permits in my pocket I can’t carry in many states.
Hamm is ludicrously wrong. You definitely do NOT log on, pay $60 and that’s all she wrote.
Under current law, you attend a class taught face-to-face by a Utah instructor, you submit fingerprints, you submit a photograph, you fill out your application and have it notarized, you send in your application with $60, undergo a background check and THEN that’s all she wrote.
Why is it that they have to argue an imaginary case rather than the facts? Do you suppose that facts just get in the way of the preferred narrative?