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Show 5 OPINION Gun storage bill creates balance Thursday, March 12,2009 www.dailyutahchronide.com T he Utah House of Representatives should pass. Senate Bill 78, which protects the right of law-abiding citizens to keep firearms that are locked up and out of sight in their motor vehicles. The bill, which was sponsored by Mark Madsen, R-Lehi, passed the Senate by a vote of 25 to 4 and has now moved on to the House of Representatives, where it is sponsored by Curt Oda, R-Clearfield. The bill is a response to an incident that happened at the AOL offices in Ogden in 2000. AOL had a rule against firearms on its premises. Three AOL employees, Luke Hansen, Paul Carlson and Jason Melling, were fired when a security camera caught two of the employees transferring their guns, after work, from their cars to the car of a third employee in the company parking lot, prior to going shooting. The ex-employees brought a wrongful termination lawsuit, represented by pro-gun attorney Mitch Vilos. First the district court and later the Utah Supreme Court ruled in favor of AOL, despite the fact that the employees had kept the guns out of the actual workplace. S.B. 78.would help by guaranteeing gun owners the right to store their "firearms in a motor vehicle parked on (private) property...if the individual storing the firearm is legally entitled to possess and transport the firearm, the vehicle is locked, or the firearm is in a locked container and the firearm is not in plain view." The bill thus protects only law- ' abiding citizens and requires that their firearms be locked up and out of sight when in their parked vehicles. It does not allow the gun owners to take their firearms inside the workplace. The bill would only cover the storage of firearms, and would still not allow individuals to remove guns from their cars on private property if policies against that type of action are enforced on the property, like hi the AOL case. S.B. 78 provides law-abiding gun owners with remedies including declaratory arrttrnjunetive-relief against parking lot owners if their legal rights are violated. The bill also provides for the recovery of civifSanidges by gun owners if they are injured as a result of a rule against storing their guns in their vehicles. At the same time, the bill provides protection to those who own or control parking lots STEVEN WARRICK from civil liability for the actions of those who have stored firearms in their vehicles pursuant to the legislation. S.B. 78 makes allowances for those property owners who have a greater interest in not having guns stored in vehicles on their premises. The bill makes exceptions for parking at single-family homes, governmental offices and religious institutions. The bill has been opposed by out-ofstate groups such as the Brady Campaign, which claim that it would make workplaces more dangerous. It strains credibility, however, to believe that violent individuals, who are not restrained by laws against murder and assault with a deadly weapon, will be restrained by employers' policies prohibiting guns locked in vehicles in parking lots. The only thing such policies do is deprive law-abiding gun owners of the protection of their guns when traveling to and from work. The controversy over this bill ultimately involves the question of which is more important, the right of those owning or controlling parking lots to dictate what lawful items parking lot users may or may not keep in their vehicles versus the right of those users to keep an item locked and out of sight in their vehicles. Vilos probably answered the question best when he said, "This bill recognizes that an employee's life interest trumps an employer's property interest." S.B. 78 strikes a good balance. Employers and other property owners are still free to prohibit guns inside their premises while law-abiding gun owners are free to store their weapons secured and out of sight in their vehicles. Students and other members of the U community should contact their state representative and urge them to vote for this bill when it comes up. letters@ chronicle.utah.edu WILLUS BRAHHAM/Tht Deity Utah Chronicle Liquor law change is valid I n Utah, people over the age of 21 can buy liquor at the state-run liquor store or a private club and they can buy beer at most grocery stores. In California and most states all over the country, people can buy liquor not only at clubs, but also at grocery stores and restaurants. For years, Utah has maintained some of the nation's most stringent and inane liquor legislation. Finally, these unrealistic and arcane rules will change. The Utah Legislature has negotiated a new set of liquor laws that will do away with the private club law, which requires temporary memberships for entry. Instead, a scanner will be installed to verify the authenticity of a driver's license and now allows for restaurants and other establishments to sell liquor without a temporary membership. At the urging of Gov. Jon JSuntsman Jr., these changes will be made to secure Utah's economic growth. In a report by the Real Estate Professionals for Economic Growth, 40 companies that relocated to Utah or expanded in the state discovered that the perceptions of Utah's h'quor laws were an obstacle to business and growth within the state. Liz Eating out and drinking CARLTON with business associates are common practices that »_ are critical to building relationships and partnerships community. 1 do have some within corporate America. element of that censorship Stringent liquor laws have not whether I like it or not. With only caused awkwardness for alcohol, there is a broad enough individual businesses, but also spectrum in the community for Utah's tourism industry, who choose to use it that we considering that those from adopt certain policies. I can't out of state are accustomed to say that half of our community getting a drink without paying a can't drink—it's not my role." membership fee. The new progressive h'quor The late Larry Miller, who legislation is a breath of fresh ownedithe Utah Jazz, allowed air and long overdue. Finally, the sale of beer at the Enerpopular grocery outlets such gySolutions Arena because fans as Trader Joe's, which makes wanted the product. Although substantial profits from liquor it doesn't conflict with Utah's sales, will be able to come to h'quor laws, it still pushes the Utah. Loosening restraints on envelope for conservativetourism and business will be* minded individuals. welcome during the economic "With alcohol, that's a choice recession. that, up to a point, only affects It should not be left up to the the person who is drinking," government to be the social Miller said in a 2003 interview. conscience of its citizens. "I don't think I'm smart enough letters@ to be the censor for the whole chronicle.utah.edu Wendover offers Spring Break fun S pring Break is upon us and there are a number of fun ways to spend it. If a lack of coin or the seemingly imminent possibility of a slow and gruesome death at the hands of members of a drug cartel takes Cabo out of the question, you might consider joining your peers in the cheaper but no less flashy Wendover, Nev. I hope you'll forgive me for replacing my typically serious, contemplative opinion with some crucial advice as we head into Spring. Break- If you choose to spend your break in what is universally accepted as the ass-crack of the western United States, you'd be wise to follow my newly revised "Guide to Surviving Wendover." A quick bit forfirst-timersto Wendover: Set your expectations low. This is not by any means Vegas. It's not even Mesquite. Danny Ocean wouldn't touch this place with a iQ-foot pole. It's important to keep in mind that you'll be traveling to a town that exists solely because of its proximity to a metropolis that doesn't allow gambling. Still, chances are you're going with a group of friends and you will have fun. Just don't expect Caesars Palace. Believe in luck. Being educated students, we know the outcomes of gambling are completely arbitrary. But, when in Rome... If something doesn't feel right, get up and leave. If your dealer is not amiable or is projecting an "I'm going to take your student loan" type JOHN HANNON vibe—which unfortunately is fairly common as these people actually live in Wendover— then find a different table. Along those same lines: Always tip the dealer. This one is important. If the dealers start turning over blackjack every other hand, find another table. But not before politely throwing a few bucks at them. It's not their fault they caught fire. The casino dictates what moves they make. This will eventually reward you. Only bring cash, and bring the amount you're willing to lose. Don't speak about the number you've chosen, just know that it exists. ATMs are out of the question. If you're up big, share the wealth. It's important to remember that you're not going to Wendover to make money. If you view it that way, you won't have much fun; win or lose. So go all out. If you win more than $200, buy everyone expensive champagne. If you're up really big, get a suite for your group and party like you're on "The Real World: Las Vegas" (though the suite will look more like an East L.A. apartment). Gamble on sports. Unlike Vegas, Wendover has virtually nothing to do besides gamble. There's no strip to walk, no shows to see (Peppermill Concert Hall occasionally brings in someone worth seeing—Styx and Frampton have been recent guests—but a quick scan of their future schedule reveals Staind and comedian Gallagher. Trust me, just miss it) and no good restaurants to dine at. Unless you want to risk being caught in the crossfire of an incident involving multiple hand guns and an overpaid cornerback at the local strip joint, gambling is about all that's left. This presents a problem for students, as we generally don't have the money to gamble for six hours continuously. Gambling on sports allows you to heighten the entertainment value of a few games and will really stretch your dollar. Buy parlay cards—the risk-reward ratio is astoundingly safe, will make three games more fun to watch and will kill some time. There are any number of other prop bets and future bets that are fun and cheap to make, so spend some time in the sports book. Here's a fun bet: Throw $5 on the Jazz to win the finals (18 to 1 odds—$5 to win $90—and you can cash out through mail). When it comes to Wendover, you just can't lose. Am I right, or am I right? .v letters@chronicle.utah.edu THE CHRONICLE'S VIEW Racist flyers not part of Chronicle E arly Wednesday, copies of The Daily Utah Chronicle were found bundled with racist flyers in a Sugar House neighborhood. Each paper was folded with aflyer%eldunder a rubber band. The papers were older issues, and from what we can tell, only a few houses fell victim to the distasteful delivery. At least one local news channel is guilty of overhyping the story, considering there were so few victims. The trashy flyers are no more noteworthy than any other easily discarded garbage. The Chronicle certainly was not involved in the production or distribution of the offensive flyers. We don't deliver papers to any private residences. The information printed on the*flyers was dis- gusting and does not represent our view in any way. If the perpetrator or perpetrators were puJUJJog a prank, they have stepped far beyond good taste. Either way, we will press theft charges should the identity of those who distributed the flyers be discovered. Readers axe permitted to take one copy of The Chronicle per day. Taking large quantities of The Chronicle without permission is considered theft. The Chronicle was in no way involved in this, and we denounce whomever is responsible. letters® ckronicle.utak.edu Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of The Daily Utah Chronicle Editorial Board/Signed editorials, editorial columns and letters to the editor are strictly the opinions of the author. The forum created on the Opinion Page is one based on vigorous debate, while at the same time demanding tolerance and respect. Material defamatory to an individual or group because of race, ethnic background, religion, creed, gender, appearance or sexual orientation will be edited or will not be published. All letters to the editor will now be published online at www.dallyutahchronicle.com. Letters that the editor deems best represent those received will be printed in the newspaper. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Fee not needed to be sustainable Editor: We have been reading for months now about fees being increased to improve sustainability. Today, I read another article in The Chronicle, ("Sustainability fee passes temporarily; ASUU must reconcile versions of bill," March 11). But what are these so-called sustainable projects that this money would go toward? I have a few suggestions of my own. As I walked to class TYiesday through the maintenance parking lot, I counted six trucks just idling without anyone inside. So what, my $2.50 is going to go to our lovely maintenance people to waste gas and pollute the air? I walk, run, ride TRAX and ride the bus. How much more "green" can I be? Stop making feeble attempts to appeal to the less educated green enthusiast and take some action. Peter Stoker, Junior, Health Promotion and Education Reimherr needs to seek student support on fee Editor: I find it alarming that Patrick Reimherr is so willing to actively push a fee increase without proven student support. If, as he says, broad student support does exist, then he ought to have.no problem with a general referendum on the issue. In response to his argument that such a referendum would be unconstitutional, I question the constitutionality of his approaching the Board of Trustees with an initiative prior to its being passed by elected student senators and representatives. Thanks go to Sens. Kasi Goodwin and Ali Amundsen for researching the issue and doing their best to educate us. Dan Brtnton, Senior, Chemical Engineering |