Joe.My.God. LGBT News
Utah Public Radio reports:
Utah students in as early as kindergarten would be required to learn about firearm safety in the classroom under a bill that passed the state House with overwhelming support Friday. The Republican-controlled chamber approved the measure in a 59-10 vote and sent it to the Senate, despite concerns from some gun violence prevention advocates that it places an undue burden on children.
The bill proposes mandatory firearm safety instruction for all public school students, with the goal of teaching kids to recognize dangerous situations and stay safe in a state where many homes have firearms. “Kids that have not grown up around firearms — whether it’s hunting or shooting with their families — they need to know how simple it is to be safe with a firearm,” Rep. Rex Shipp, the bill’s author, said.
Utah’s Republicans also just did this:
Utah lawmakers voted for the third straight year against a Democrat-led bill addressing the safe storage of firearms on Friday. A proposal to hold adults accountable in some circumstances if they fail to lock up a firearm used by a minor to commit a crime was shot down.
The bill was supported by the Utah Parent Teacher Association and the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office. Brett Robinson, a senior attorney in the office, said gang crimes are often committed by minors who obtained a firearm from a parent or guardian.
The bill was opposed by the Utah Shooting Sports Council, a gun rights organization, which argued that the existing code already addresses the issue and further legislation is unnecessary.
Shipp’s bill mandates once a year “gun safety” training for kindergarten through sixth grade and then at least once while students are in middle school and high school.
Kindergarteners could learn gun safety in school under a bill gaining momentum in Utah
The measure places an undue burden on children instead of parents, some gun violence prevention advocates say.
www.politico.com/news/2025/02…
— Lauren Ashley Davis (@laurenmeidasa.bsky.social) February 15, 2025 at 12:20 PM