Utah: hands off our guns

Made-in-Utah, used-in-Utah guns are none of the federal government’s business, according to the state’s new “Utah State-Made Firearms Protection Act.” Gov. Gary Herbert signed the bill, he says, after weighing the constitutional aspects of the bill with its fiscal effects on Utah taxpayers.

The new law “provides that a firearm or one of various firearm-related items manufactured in the state for in-state use is not subject to federal firearms laws and regulations.” The bill is meant to challenge the U.S. Supreme Court’s “expansive interpretation of the federal Interstate Commerce Clause and assert Utah’s authority under the U.S. Constitution to regulate wholly intrastate commerce,” according to Herbert’s office. “There are times when the state needs to push back against continued encroachment from the federal government. Sending the message that we will stand up for a proper balance between the state and federal government is a good thing,” Herbert said in a statement.