Should Utah gun laws trump federal regulations?
Pragmatism versus patriotism — that was part of the argument for some Top of Utah lawmakers Wednesday as the Legislature prepares to send one of the leading message bills in this session to the governor for his signature. The heart of the message is about states’ rights, and the vehicle is gun control. “Our responsibility is to uphold the Constitution as we see fit,” said Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden, about the reasoning behind Senate Bill 11. Wilcox joined with others in a lengthy and sometimes passionate floor debate on the bill, its final hearing before House lawmakers passed it 56-17. Firearms made and kept in Utah would be exempt from federal regulations under the measure, which an independent legislative analyst said was “highly likely” to be held unconstitutional and forced into court. The proposal replicates one Montana enacted into law last year that’s intended to trigger a federal court battle. The measures would allow guns made in the respective states to be exempt from federal
