Utah’s concealed carry laws are back in the spotlight after a recent shooting at an event featuring political commentator Charlie Kirk. Utah also allows open and concealed carry of firearms without a permit, which they’ve done since 2021. Yet this policy has raised a storm of concern about public safety and the effect on America’s educational institutions. As the state continues to expand gun rights, concerns are mounting about how these laws affect classroom environments and campus safety.
Unfortunately, in recent years, Utah has passed some of the most extreme anti-gun laws. House Bill 119 promotes the training of K-12 teachers to be armed in their classrooms. At the same time, House Bill 128 would allow concealed carry on college campuses. Before this law was introduced, firearms were required to be concealed while on college campuses. Right now, Utah is one of only 29 states without any permit requirements – concealed carry “constitutional carry” states. You don’t even need an annual exhibit permit to participate!
Educators and university staff are rightfully worried about what could happen if more people are carrying firearms on campus. This fear remains true despite the state’s otherwise permissive gun laws. It’s no surprise that many fear emergency situations within learning spaces – especially in the case of laboratories, which house toxic and deadly chemicals. The state has begun to respond by filing House Bill 84. This legislation forces every single classroom to arm itself with panic buttons and guarantee that at least one armed person is on campus each day.
Those same critics worried that Utah’s approach didn’t go far enough to acknowledge the realities and nuances of public safety. To Brandon del Pozo, an assistant professor at Brown University and former police chief, he asks us to consider where guns might be. Here, he emphasizes the value of deeply observing these spaces. He states, “In places like Utah where there’s going to be a lot of guns in circulation, you have to decide when you’re going to carve out spaces where people are screened for guns.”
Del Pozo speaks to the difficulty law enforcement faces in protecting open air events. This is particularly the case for megagatherings that draw millions of attendees. “And if you’re a small police department, it’s hard to secure something outdoors. If you’re coming to a provocative political rally, you need to be screened,” he adds.
In addition to those conceptual arguments, del Pozo questions whether the deterrent effect of concealed carry laws is any more effective than other deterrents. As with all deterrence effects, the concealed carry one only exists for rational actors. Then you reach a point in political extremism where you are no longer talking to people who are usefully sane,” he describes. This is the feeling for many educators. Some are worried that arming more people on campus would actually lead to more dangerous situations.
Supporters of Utah’s gun laws maintain that easy access to firearms can serve as a deterrent against crime. Johnny Richardson, a Utah-based attorney who specializes in advocating against the legislation, underscores the mindset that has taken hold of proponents of these laws. He continues, “We think the Second Amendment is very expansive… A permit to carry a concealed weapon is simply one step that prevents you from exercising that right.” There’s this prevailing mentality that there should be the minimum hurdles.
Utah has a conservative pro-Second Amendment legislature that follows through with their support of the Second Amendment. Recent events have underscored this contest between pushing the gun rights agenda and protecting public safety. Extreme risk protection orders (ERPO), or red-flag laws, are absent from the conversation and compound the issue. Critics argue that without such measures, individuals at risk of harming themselves or others may still have access to firearms.
The fight over Utah’s gun laws brings focus to an important question. It ignites an important national dialogue about how we can protect Second Amendment rights while ensuring public safety. The recent shooting of conservative Charlie Kirk has shined the light on these issues in a new way. Lawmakers and citizens alike are finally moving toward the difficult and tricky middle ground of respecting gun ownership, but gun regulation.
The conversation about Utah’s gun policies hasn’t ended yet. Educators, law enforcement officials, and community members are all watching closely to see how the changes play out. Major legislative changes might finally be coming — and soon. As a result, debates over access to firearms and safety on campus will be misunderstood or misrepresented in the court of public opinion.