Gun laws

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is actively recruiting firearms manufacturers looking to relocate because of newly restrictive gun laws and proposals in their home states.

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development is competing against 10 other states trying to lure Colorado-based firearms accessory and magazine manufacturer Magpul Industries Corporation and a handful of other companies, GOED spokesman Michael Sullivan said Tuesday.

“The Governor’s Office of Economic Development’s Corporate Recruitment team, along with the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, which is our private-sector partner, are reaching out to arms manufacturers considering moving from their current locations,” he said.

Utah is an ideal location for firearms companies, Sullivan said.

SALT LAKE CITY — The mother of one of 20 students killed in the December school shooting in Newtown, Conn., is pressing Gov. Gary Herbert to veto a bill that would allow Utah residents to carry a hidden, unloaded gun without a permit.

The mother, Alissa Parker, lives in Connecticut, but she’s originally from Ogden, where her daughter, 6-year-old Emilie Parker, was buried. Emilie was among the 20 students and six adults killed in the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

The bill is one of the most high-profile proposals to come from the Utah Legislature this year. Aides to the governor say a tide of opposition came in against the bill in March.

SALT LAKE CITY — State lawmakers will force the governor’s hand on a controversial gun bill dealing with concealed carry requirements in Utah.

The Senate approved HB 76 Wednesday morning with a 21-7 vote mostly along party lines, with only Sen. Brian Shiozawa, R-Cottonwood Heights, and Sen. Lyle Hillyard, R-Logan, voting against it among the GOP majority.

Gov. Gary Herbert has hinted he will veto the bill but has shied away from being specific on the topic. In a Tuesday news conference, he reiterated his belief that the state’s current guns laws are sufficient.

SALT LAKE CITY — If a bill that cleared a Senate committee becomes law, a person who has dealt with mental illness but has been found to be healthy may petition the courts to be removed from a database restricting their access to a firearm.

SB 80, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley, received a favorable recommendation in committee and advances to the full Senate.

The bill outlines a process a person whose name is on the National Instant Check database may follow to have their name removed.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah lawmakers have once again delayed voting on a bill that declares Utah alone is able to regulate firearms in the state.

SALT LAKE CITY -- Some Washington County Republicans are preparing state legislation to exempt Utah from federal gun laws - and fine any federal agents who try to seize any guns.