On Jan. 24, 2025, House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee (right) listens to public feedback on her bill in the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee at the Utah State Capitol. Many community members and medical professionals opposed her initiative to lower the open carry limit to 18.
A bill to reduce the open carry age in Utah to 18 years old, among other things, breezed through its first hurdle in the Legislature. Legislators didn’t say much, but the community residents and doctors who spoke to the committee opposed the proposed move.
The bill introduced by House Majority Whip Karianne Lisonbee contains about a thousand lines of text. She stated during a hearing before the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee on January 24 that the majority of the revisions to HB133 are technical and aim to clarify the law. Nevertheless, it incorporates several significant revisions.
The most controversial reform was reducing the minimum age to openly carry a handgun in Utah. With a Provisional Concealed Firearm Permit, individuals between the ages of 18 and 20 are currently allowed to carry a concealed firearm. However, they must be 21 or older to openly carry in public areas.
“You are not prohibiting carry by 18-to-21-year-olds in Utah if you oppose this bill,” Lisonbee emphasized. “At least 18-year-olds can legally carry concealed with a permit, and they can openly carry in their vehicle and at home under the existing legislation.”
In addition, she brought up a case from 2021 that the United States Supreme Court could hear regarding the unlawful prohibition of open carry by people aged 18 to 20. She introduced a revised version of this bill during the September interim session.
During the public comment, several individuals disapproved of legalizing juvenile concealed carry permits. Among these individuals were gun owners. That is why they were so opposed to the law.
Because I own a gun, I support the right to bear arms in moderation. A pediatric trauma physician assistant named Chance Basinger spoke before lawmakers on behalf of the Utah chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “I’m not an advocate for taking guns away from responsible citizens,” Basinger said.
“But the planned change to this law endangers the public’s well-being and safety, especially our children and teenagers.”
Basinger’s research shows that the regions of the brain that regulate impulses and judgment do not reach complete maturity until a person reaches their mid-20s. He claims that before that age, young adults are more likely to act impulsively and make poor choices.
“Nearly every week in my work, I have witnessed firsthand the devastating consequences of an impulsive decision made by a teenager or young adult with access to a firearm,” Basinger exclaimed.
One more Murray doctor who spoke out against the ban was Dave Morris, a trauma surgeon.
The decision is nearly always a spontaneous one, according to research on suicide. According to Morris, many people will reconsider their decision and back out of the irreversible path if you can only give them five more minutes to think about it. “It would be ideal to create a buffer between an immature 18-year-old’s hasty decision and a permanent action.”
People in the community and parents alike expressed fear about going places where 18-year-olds openly carried weapons. Additionally, Utah’s Gun Violence Prevention Center is against the measure.
Since people in this age bracket can already legally carry concealed weapons with a permit, supporters of the move argued—as Lisonbee did—that it’s a modest one.
“The only difference between open and closed carry is effective style,” stated a former state representative, Tim Jimenez. Utah experiences somewhat warm weather in the summer. No one should be compelled to cover themselves to exercise their right to bear arms.
The measure has the backing of Women for Gun Rights and the Utah Shooting Sports Council.
After listening to public testimony, the committee moved forward with the bill on a vote of 8 to 1. The only member to speak afterward was Republican Rep. Melissa Ballard. Only one Democrat, Rep. Sandra Hollins, cast a vote against it.
The next step is for the entire House to discuss the bill.
