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The Utah House on Thursday approved one of two bills that are dueling about how to keep guns away from people convicted of domestic violence or named in protective orders.
Members voted 68-0 to pass HB206, and sent it to the Senate. Its sole aim is to keep guns out of the hands of people convicted of domestic violence or who have protective or restraining orders against them.
Another bill, HB237, would do that, too. But it uses such provisions largely to allow piggybacking by a more controversial move to legalize carrying of concealed guns without a permit.
Gov. Gary Herbert in 2013 vetoed a bill allowing concealed carry without a permit, and has since said he would do so again. But supporters hope that marrying it with the domestic violence issue could persuade the governor to sign it.
House Minority Leader Brian King, D-Salt Lake City, sponsor of the domestic-violence-only bill, said it mirrors a federal law with the same restrictions — a prohibition against possessing or owning firearms by someone convicted of the offense or named in a protective order.
Local police and prosecutors generally do not enforce federal laws, and Utah has relatively few federal officers. So King said putting the same restrictions into state law will bring more enforcement resources.
When a gun is in a home where domestic violence incidents have occurred, the odds of the women there being killed are five times higher, King said.
A Salt Lake Tribune analysis of Utah homicides in 2016 found that at least 20 of 63 were the result of domestic violence — nearly 30 percent.
While that number is on par with the national average of 30 percent, Jenn Oxborrow of the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition said domestic violence-related homicides in Utah have accounted for 42 percent of homicides statewide over the past 16 years.
In an earlier committee hearing, Carl Calloway talked about how the death of his 23-year-old daughter Katherine Peralta — killed by her estranged husband in December in the parking lot of ARUP Laboratories at the University of Utah — showed him that such legislation is needed.
Calloway said the family of his son-in-law "was in denial" that he presented a danger after Katherine informed her husband that she wanted a divorce, so such legislation could mandate action. Richard Peralta, 25, fatally shot himself after taking his wife's life.
House passage of HB206 was hailed by the group founded by former Arizona U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Americans for Responsible Solutions.
"This bill will help close the dangerous loophole in Utah law that allows domestic violence misdemeanants and people subject to domestic violence protection orders to possess firearms. We hope that the Senate will follow suit, pass this life-saving legislation, and send it to Governor Herbert's desk," the group said in a statement.
HB237 — which would marry the domestic violence issue with permit-free carrying of concealed guns — was resurrected in committee this week after appearing to die earlier on a tie vote. It is awaiting consideration by the full House.