The Grand County Commission unanimously approved a letter to the Utah Governor’s office and to Utah Congressional and state lawmakers calling for swift action to protect communities against gun violence.
Spurred by recent mass shootings, including the murder of 19 children and two educators in Uvalde, Texas, the letter referenced a threat made by a sixth-grade student at Helen M. Knight Elementary School in May. No one was harmed at Moab’s school.
The letter called for lawmakers to take action to enact “red flag” or extreme risk laws, which allow a judge to temporarily remove a person’s access to guns if there is evidence that person poses a risk. 19 states including Colorado already have such laws which also can help lower the rate of suicide, according to the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Prevention and Policy.
The letter also calls for support for firearm secure storage laws; increasing the minimum age to purchase semi-automatic weapons from 18 to 21; requiring background checks on all gun sales; and creating funding for schools to establish threat assessment programs, install internal door locks, and increase mental health and social work staffing.
The letter from the Grand County Commission says these steps would continue to safeguard the Second Amendment of the Constitution “while also serving to protect the safety of our children.”
“Let’s be a state where people feel their children are safe, protected and prioritized,” the letter concludes.
The Grand County Commission meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month at 4 p.m. Meetings are streamed online at the Grand County Youtube channel. Schedules, agendas and opportunities for public comment can be found at www.grandcountyutah.net. Residents can email commission@grandcountyutah.net to automatically reach each County Commission member, the commission administrator, the associate commission administrator, and the county attorney.
