Utah bill would nix out-of-state CCW permits

From the Beehive State (Utah residents: you need a new state nickname! :)), comes this Salt Lake Tribune editorial supporting a bill to limit Utah concealed carry permits to Utah residents only:

The words "liberal" and "Utah" are rarely used in the same sentence, unless you're talking about firearms statutes. Utah's concealed-carry permit law is one of the most liberal, and by that we mean permissive, in the nation.

Utah permits are inexpensive, simple to acquire, slow to expire, easy to renew and are accepted in 32 other states through reciprocity agreements. And, for those reasons, they're the permit of choice for a nation of gun lovers. Approximately half of the new permits issued by the state in recent years have been acquired by nonresidents, many from states with more restrictive laws.

But that could change. There's a gun battle shaping up on Utah's Capitol Hill.

State Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake City, fired the first shot last week, filing a bill that would prevent nonresidents from obtaining Utah gun permits. And gun advocates, who claim to have been ambushed by the proposal, appear determined to shoot it down.

There are three good reasons why McCoy's bill should be enacted into law. ...

Read the op-ed here. If you have a Utah permit, you might want to make your opposition to such a change known. You might start with the state senate committee that will hear Sen. McCoy's bill.