Beattie hopes to get weapons out of schools
By Lucinda Dillon and Bob Bernick Jr.
Deseret News staff writers

Senate President Lane Beattie says he will do this legislative session what he has intended for three years ? address the controversial, but politically popular, idea of getting guns out of schools and churches.
In an interview Thursday, Beattie said lawmakers are in the throes of discussions about many gun-related issues. A bill by Sen. Terry Spencer, R-Layton, on violent misdemeanors has run into hurdles and “may not go,” the West Bountiful Republican said.
“But by Monday or Tuesday, we should have things ready to go ? and we will address guns in the truest sense of the word.”
Guns in schools?
“Yes. It’s the one I’ve been working on for three years.”
Confirmation that Beattie will run a gun bill and sponsor it himself sets up an interesting political drama on Utah’s Capitol Hill, where 104 lawmakers are in the first week of a 45-day session.
House Republicans, under political pressure to address the gun subject in some way, have posed a multi-part crime package that tackles some gun-related issues ? violent misdemeanors, regulations for obtaining a concealed weapons permit, training, uniform sentencing for gun-related crimes and school safety ? but not the spotlight issue about whether Utahns with properly registered concealed weapons should be allowed to take them into schools, churches and private homes.
House Minority Leader Dave Jones, D-Salt Lake has a guns-in-school bill too, and Democrats have repeatedly urged their Republican colleagues to come to the table on the topic. A coalition of churches, educators, parents and community activists had given up hope the Legislature would take on the issue and recently launched a petition drive to take the issues to voters themselves.
Action by Beattie, considered a respected and powerful force on the Hill and in the state, adds considerable weight to the issue. But Beattie could find himself at odds with those more conservative in the House and Senate. And conversations early today indicate local political wranglings may overshadow the guns-in-schools discussion.
House Speaker Marty Stephens, R-Farr West, said the GOP caucus hasn’t talked about guns in schools because it didn’t know if Beattie was running a bill. Jones’ bill is not part of the GOP House package.
“I have no idea whether our caucus will accept the president’s bill. I haven’t seen it yet,” Stephens said. “We are approaching this with one basic principle, and that is we will support any gun regulation that protects citizens’ Second Amendment right to bear arms and makes society safer.”
Meanwhile this morning, legislative Democrats held a press conference to seek support for five specific gun-violence/school safety bills, including Jones’ measure. They were supported by leaders of the Utah Education Association and the PTA.
The goals of the five bills are to:

Keep guns, especially concealed weapons, out of churches and public and private schools and provide for the “rare” exceptions when a concealed weapons permit holder will be allowed to take a gun into those facilities.

Ensure background checks for all sales of guns at gun shows.

Ensure guns are kept out of the hands of convicted criminals.

Ensure responsible gun storage to stop accidental shootings and killings.

Take away access to guns for people with violent histories, including those who a court finds mentally ill.

Rep. Dennis Iverson, R-Washington, said Beattie’s bill shouldn’t be part of the House crime package. “I think it should run alone.”
But others support Beattie’s move.
“Yes, I’m glad he’s doing it,” said Rep. Afton Bradshaw, R-Salt Lake City. “It’s a gutsy thing to do.”
The subject of guns is in flux among House Republicans. They were supposed to discuss it in a closed noontime meeting Thursday but put it off. Guns dominated talk among groups of lawmakers who huddled during floor action to lobby leaders for a place in the crime package. Stephens said the topic will come up in the caucus again Tuesday.
Gun lobbies have hit lawmakers hard this session with the basic message to stay away from this subject.
House Majority Leader Kevin Garn has received lots of calls and correspondence about all the gun-related bills, mostly, he said, from people saying, “We don’t want any more laws on guns. Leave us alone.” He did receive one letter from the other side, which basically said, “We support your crime package, do more.”
One gun-rights advocate lashed out today at Beattie for his decision.
“I’m extremely upset at this. For President Lane Beattie to submit children to having no protection. . . . Now we know, Lane Beattie is anti-family,” said Janalee Tobias, a South Jordan mother who founded Women Against Gun Control. “I have one question for him: ‘President Beattie, are you going to protect my children if a madman comes in and starts shooting?”
Schools will be left defenseless, she said. “They are sitting ducks.”
She went on to threaten Beattie.
“He’s in for a huge liability lawsuit. He will be targeted. We will make sure he is not re-elected. We will elect a Republican with true Republican values,” she said. “Gov. Leavitt is behind this. He’s getting his lapdogs to do his dirty work.”
But Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, said Republicans with this view should not be punished. “No, absolutely not. We Republicans need a big tent.”
A Deseret News poll completed just before the session started shows healthy support for banning all guns, even those carried by law-abiding citizens with concealed weapons permits, from schools. Pollster Dan Jones & Associates found that 63 percent of Utahns favor such a ban.
Beattie told the Deseret News several days ago that he wants reasonable restrictions on all guns brought into schools. But he has been murky about whether he would introduce a gun bill this year at all.
Jones’ bill would require a concealed weapons permit holder to get permission from some top district official, but Beattie has said he wants to make exemptions quicker and easier.
House Rules Committee Chairwoman Susan Koehn, R-Woods Cross, said Thursday that should Beattie come forward with his guns-in-schools bill, “it will certainly be considered. The president of the Senate carries a lot of weight around here.”