Please email, text or call every member of the House Judiciary Committee listed below NOW!

If you can, please also attend the hearing in Room 450 of the State Capitol- dress appropriately (business casual or coat and tie or "Guns Save Lives" T-shirt ). Be on your good behavior (so you won’t be confused with the unruly anti-gun protesters).



Keep your message short and polite. Just tell them:



“Dear Committee Members- Please vote against HB 87- Safe storage, and HB 115- Liability of Firearms Custodian. There are existing laws which address these issues. Stop unreasonable and ineffective restrictions on gun owners, and do more to punish criminals who steal and misuse guns. Thank you.”

[your name]



Here is the contact info. A more detailed discussion of the bills is at the bottom of this alert if you want more info. The important thing is to CONTACT THESE LEGISLATORS BEFORE 300 PM Monday!



Rep. Karianne Lisonbee (R), Chair - 801-589-2934

karilisonbee@le.utah.gov



Rep. Craig Hall (R), Vice Chair - 801-573-1774

chall@le.utah.gov



Rep. Cheryl K. Acton (R) - 801-809-3571

cacton@le.utah.gov



Rep. Brady Brammer (R) - 801-839-4653

bbrammer@le.utah.gov



Rep. Jon Hawkins (R) - 801-928-9008

thawkes@le.utah.gov



Rep. Eric K. Hutchings (R) - 801-963-2639

ehutchings@le.utah.gov



Rep. Brian S. King (D) - 801-560-0769

briansking@le.utah.gov



Rep. Stephanie Pitcher (D) - 385-272-8032

spitcher@le.utah.gov



Rep. Travis M. Seegmiller (R) - 435-236-5118

tseegmiller@le.utah.gov



Rep. V. Lowry Snow (R) - 435-703-3688

vlsnow@le.utah.gov



Rep. Steve Waldrip (R) - 801-389-9329

swaldrip@le.utah.gov



Rep. Mark A. Wheatley (D) - 801-556-4862

markwheatley@le.utah.gov



Both bills target law abiding gun owners, not people who illegally take guns and use them for criminal purposes. These are not crime control, they are “gun control” straight from the Pelosi-Schumer wish list of incremental steps to demonize gun ownership, while ignoring criminal conduct or mental health issues. Both would punish gun owners if their guns are taken without permission, rather than increasing penalties on those who steal guns.

Now, start contacting these committee members!

BACKGROUND-

HB 136- SAFE STORAGE-

This is already addressed in Utah law:

“76-5-112. Reckless endangerment -- Penalty.

(1) A person commits reckless endangerment if, under circumstances not amounting to a felony offense, the person recklessly engages in conduct that creates a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to another person.

(2) Reckless endangerment is a class A misdemeanor.”

This is not about safety, but a “one size fits all- Lock up your protection” bill, and adding signs in gun stores which will not prevent people from doing stupid things.



Everyone wants to keep kids safe. However, despite occasional sensational and tragic incidents, accidental deaths of children under 12 involving firearms are extremely rare. In fact, they a less common than children killed by farm machinery, or being swept away in floods.



“Safe storage” depends on each gun owner’s situation. What is good for a single woman with a restraining order against a stalker, or a retired couple with no kids is different from a family with young children.

HB 115 - DANGEROUS WEAPON CUSTODIAN LIABILITY--

This is a "bait and switch" bill talking about "dangerous weapons" in the title, but the actual bill deals exclusively with firearms. Apparently the gun-grabbers don't care about cars, baseball bats, knives, gasoline, poisons, ropes, axes or the myriad other objects that "unfit individuals" may use to hurt people. This ignores the actions of a violent criminal, but targets gun owners.

Instead of punishing criminals who misuse guns, this opens up a gun owner to ruinous civil suits and massive legal fees to defend themselves. All based on the absurd idea that a typical citizen can somehow determine who is an "unfit individual," making it the gun owner's fault if the other person misuses the gun. The incredibly vague definition is not used anywhere else in Utah law.



Even worse, it does not require the plaintiff to prove that the gun owner did something wrong, but forces the gun owner to prove their innocence.

This will result in more jobs for lawyers, but not more violent criminals in jail.

We already have laws banning transfer of a firearm to felons, mentally ill and domestic abusers.. Enforce them! Defeat this bill now!



Enforcing current laws will do much more to protect Utahns than passing these two bad bills. Please phone and call NOW! THANK YOU! Only YOU can protect your gun rights. The world is run by those who speak up and show up to make their views heard.

Standby for URGENT ACTION ALERT TWO OF TWO and please act on that one too!