SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Salt Lake County will begin requiring background checks on private sales at gun shows held in county-owned facilities next year, Mayor Jenny Wilson announced Monday.
The requirement is already in place for sales by licensed firearm dealers at gun shows, but will now cover sales between two private parties, the Deseret News reports. The new rule will impact gun shows held at three large convention centers in the county.
“I support the rights of lawful gun owners, but the risk of a private transaction resulting in the sale of a firearm to someone with a violent criminal record or history of domestic abuse is a risk we cannot accept in Salt Lake County,” Wilson said.
Wilson is a Democrat who was appointed mayor in January by the state party’s central committee to replace Ben McAdams, who earned a seat in congress. She acknowledged in a Tweet that she understood the complexities of gun violence and had “no illusions that this will solve the ’gun violence’ problem,” but she said ”responsible gun ownership should include responsible buying and selling.”
Prominent gun rights advocate Clark Aposhian said Wilson is “absolutely out of bounds” with the rule. He said the Utah Legislature has made clear that only state lawmakers can make gun laws, not local governments.
“When the Legislature finds out that the mayor is thumbing her nose at the intent of the Legislature, I think they will act,” said Aposhian, chairman of the Utah Shooting Sports Council.
Wilson said she wouldn’t get much done if she always asked the opinion of the state’s Republican-dominated state Legislature.
The rule only applies inside gun shows held at county-run facilities, said Dan Case, who runs Salt Lake County convention centers. That means they can’t stop two people who met at a gun show from completing the sale elsewhere, he said.
“Is that what we want, private transactions being conducted on the sidewalk outside the gun show? No,” Aposhian said.
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