"Today, we need a nation of Minutemen, citizens who are not only prepared to take arms, but citizens who regard the preservation of freedom as the basic purpose of their daily life and who are willing to consciously work and sacrifice for that freedom."
-- John F. Kennedy
In Alert #327, we said we’d heard that Gov. Gary Herbert might be thinking about vetoing SB 11, the Utah Firearms Freedom Act. SB 11 would exempt firearms from federal regulations as long as the firearms are manufactured, sold, and kept within Utah, based on the principle of state sovereignty as guaranteed by the 10th Amendment. This bill passed the House and Senate by wide margins.
We’ve since spoken with Clark Aposhian of the Utah Shooting Sports Council, who informed us that he met with Gov. Herbert and that the Governor is, indeed, seriously considering vetoing SB 11. According to Mr. Aposhian, the Governor expressed concern about the costs that might be incurred if the state had to defend SB 11 in federal court. The governor’s alleged concern is, in our opinion, ill founded. As we explained in our previous alert, SB 11 probably won’t cost the state a dime because any court actions will most likely be initiated and funded by private gun-rights groups and local gun manufacturers, as is happening in Montana.
We suspect that Governor Herbert understands this fact, and we speculate that his real motivation for vetoing SB 11 might be a simple lack of interest in protecting the right to keep and bear arms against federal infringement. Two states have already passed laws similar to SB 11, and more than 20 others have introduced such bills in their legislatures. There’s no excuse for Utah not to join this broad-based effort.
Please phone Gov. Herbert’s office as soon as possible and leave a message asking him to sign SB 11. We need to make the Governor’s phones ring off the hook. If you’re so inclined, feel free to mention that you will not vote for him if he vetoes SB 11.
Once you’ve phoned the Governor’s office, we suggest backing up your phone call with an e-mail message, fax, or regular letter.
Phone for Governor’s Office: (801)538-1000
Toll-free Phone: (800)705-2464
Fax: (801)538-1528
Mailing Address:
Gov. Gary Herbert
PO Box 142220
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-2220
A pre-written letter is provided below, which you may fill out, sign, and send if you wish.
Important: If you happen to be a County Republican Delegate or a Utah State Republican Delegate, please contact Gov. Herbert’s campaign office immediately and tell them that you’d like the Governor to sign SB 11. Please tell them your name and the precinct number for which you are a delegate. The Governor’s campaign staff has provided the following contact info specifically for GOP delegates who wish to provide opinions or feedback to the Governor:
Phone: (801)328-2010
e-mail: gary@garyherbert.com
Note: GOUtah! does not endorse Gov. Herbert’s election campaign (or anyone else’s election campaign), nor do we endorse the Utah Republican Party or any other political party.
Date:
From:
Subject: Please Sign SB 11
Dear Governor Herbert:
I encourage you to sign SB 11, the bill that asserts Utah’s sovereignty under the 10th Amendment by exempting from federal regulation those firearms that are manufactured, sold, and kept in the State of Utah.
This bill, if it becomes law, will probably cost the state nothing. Any test cases resulting from SB 11 will most likely be initiated and funded by private entities as is already happening in Montana, which passed a similar law last year. Contrary to false reports being circulated in Utah, the federal government is not suing the state of Montana over its new gun law. Instead, private gun-rights groups are suing the federal government to gain federal recognition of the validity of the Montana law.
All six states adjoining Utah allow law-abiding citizens to have loaded firearms in their cars without a permit (which Utah does not), and three of these neighboring states allow such loaded firearms to be concealed in the car, while at least one allows unloaded firearms to be concealed (which Utah does not). None of these states seem to have had problems resulting from these laws.
If you decide to veto SB 11, please write back to me and explain your reasoning. Thanks for taking time to consider my views on this matter.
Sincerely,
That concludes the GOUtah! Political and Legislative Alert #328 for 16 February, 2010. We hope this information will be of assistance to you in defending your firearms rights.
Remember that getting this information is meaningless unless You Act On It Today. If you just read it and dump it in the trash, your gun rights, and the gun rights of future generations go in the trash with it. Get involved, get active and get vocal!
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