Close gun-show loophole [View All]

[CO Liberal]

Editorial from The Salt Lake Tribune - Wayne

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Close gun-show loophole

Criminals should not be able to walk into a gun show and buy firearms. But they do.

The federal Brady law requires a background check of gun purchasers, but there is a hole in the law that Congress annually refuses to patch. The law requires federally licensed gun dealers to check the backgrounds of would-be buyers, but the law does not apply the same requirement to unlicensed sellers. This loophole is particularly worrisome at gun shows, where investigations by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms have reported that criminals are able to buy guns.

Despite congressional paralysis, the Utah Legislature could close the gun-show gap with a state law. But it, too, has failed repeatedly to act. Bills drafted by former Rep. Dave Jones and by Rep. Scott Daniels, both Salt Lake City Democrats, never have gotten far in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Daniels' 2003 bill did not survive the black hole of the Rules Committee.

This is no surprise in a legislative body that this year gave people with permits to carry concealed weapons an explicit invitation to bring guns into schools. Senseless, but not surprising.

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http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Sep/09242003/opinion/95203.asp