HJR 7; enforce current laws instead of red flag laws

Rep. Maloy to present Existing Weapons Restrictions Resolution during 2019 Legislative Session
Encourages Utah to know and enforce existing laws instead of supporting gun control legislation
​
LEHI, Utah, Jan. 23, 2019 – Utah House Representative Cory Maloy, R-Lehi, will introduce HJR 7 – Joint Resolution on Existing Weapons Restrictions during the 2019 Utah General Legislative Session. The resolution recognizes that the best way to protect the vulnerable without infringing on the right of the people to bear arms is to enforce the laws already found in Utah Code.
 
“Remembering and enforcing Utah’s current laws that restrict firearm and weapons possession based on certain situations will better protect our children and society,” said Maloy. “So-called ‘red flag’ or ‘extreme risk protection laws’ that are popping up around the country are actually control and confiscation strategies by gun control groups infringing on the rights of law-abiding citizens who utilize their U.S. and Utah constitutional right to own and bear arms. They do nothing actually to protect our citizens from criminals and murderers.”
 
The resolution points out 21 existing Utah laws addressing weapons use and restrictions. For example:

• Utah Section 76-10-507 states that possessing a weapon with the intent to use it to commit a criminal offense is a class A misdemeanor.
• Sections 78B-7-404 and 78B-7-204 point out that dating and child protective orders prohibit respondents from possessing a firearm.
• Section 53-5c-201 establishes that firearms may be voluntarily committed to a law enforcement agency for safekeeping by an owner’s cohabitant if they believe that another cohabitant is an immediate threat.
• Sections 62A-15-629, 62A-15-631, 62A-15-632, and 62A-15-703 all describe the process by which one can be civilly committed for reasons related to mental illness.
• Sections 76-10-509, 76-10-509.4, 76-10-509.5, 76-10-509.6, 76-10-509.7, and 76-10-509.9 outline restrictions regarding the possession of a weapon by minors, including the necessity of adult supervision and the obligation of an adult to remove a weapon from a minor’s possession under certain circumstances.
• Section 76-10-505.5 clarifies that individuals with a concealed firearm permit may possess a firearm on or about a school premises.

 
These are just a few of the current laws that exist to protect the citizens of Utah.
 
The State of Utah is known across the country and around the globe for how it “does things right” in many significant areas. The Joint Resolution on Existing Weapons Restrictions points out one other important area where Utah has done it right – that of serving as an example to the nation in how to protect the vulnerable without infringing on the right of the people to bear arms.
 
“Whereas red flag laws attempt to turn law-abiding citizens into criminals, this resolution points out Utah’s existing laws that seek to protect citizens by prosecuting and restricting actual lawbreakers and criminals,” said Maloy.
 
About Representative Maloy
 
Representative Maloy was elected by the people of Utah House District 6 to serve in the Utah House of Representatives in 2016. He will begin his third Utah Legislative Session in 2019. He resides in Lehi, Utah and serves on the House Economic and Workforce Services Committee, the Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Committee, and as vice-chair on the House Business and Labor Committee. He is a business owner and public relations professional for Maloy PR.
 
###