Why Utah’s Sen. Kitchen wants to raise the age to buy a gun to 21

Kitchen’s proposed transform to Utah legislation arrives just after the mass taking pictures in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 19 youngsters in an elementary faculty and two of their teachers.

Utah point out Sen. Derek Kitchen, D-Salt Lake City, announced on Wednesday that he opened a monthly bill file to elevate the least age for obtaining a gun in Utah from 18 to 21.

Kitchen’s proposed alter to Utah regulation arrives right after the mass capturing in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 19 kids in an elementary college and two of their academics. The shooter was 18 yrs aged.

“Here in the United States with our gun violence situation, it’s time for us to get motion. And this legislation that I’m performing on is a incredibly very simple invoice that must get bipartisan support,” Kitchen area informed The Salt Lake Tribune throughout a podcast job interview.

“It’s common-feeling laws that’s been made to maintain Utahns harmless,” reported Kitchen.

A news release from Kitchen’s office mentioned that 21 out of the 26 school shootings that took place so significantly in 2022 ended up fully commited by anyone beneath the age of 21.

A poll from Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics in 2021 found that 65% of Utahns aid universal qualifications checks, but the Utah Legislature has not moved to adopt them. In point, final session the Legislature passed a law that prevented Salt Lake Town and other local governments from requiring background checks for private sellers at gun demonstrates.

“Right now you have an obstructionist Republican supermajority that refuses to get action. This is an option for them to get on board and safeguard our communities,” Kitchen area said.

Kitchen is jogging for reelection and faces Dr. Jen Plumb in the Democratic primary in June.

Listen to far more from this interview in the Thursday, Could 26, episode of ‘The Every day Buzz’ podcast. You can pay attention to both equally today’s episode and past episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and SoundCloud.