HB 129 Would Have Let People Shoot to Kill in Public Even If There Is a Clear and Safe Alternative
SALT LAKE CITY – Volunteers with the Utah chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today applauded the defeat of the gun lobby’s dangerous “Stand Your Ground” legislation.
HB 129 would have let people shoot to kill in public even if there is a clear and safe alternative. The bill would also have prohibited a judge or jury from even considering whether a person was unreasonable in refusing to avoid an armed conflict.
Stand Your Ground legislation is unnecessary in Utah – a state that already recognizes the right to use force, including deadly force, in self-defense whenever it is reasonable under the circumstances. Research finds that states with Stand Your Ground laws have a clear increase in homicides. Additionally, there is no evidence that Stand Your Ground laws deter crime.
STATEMENT FROM KAIT HINCKLEY A VOLUNTEER WITH THE UTAH CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA AND MEMBER OF THE EVERYTOWN SURVIVOR NETWORK:
“I’m thrilled that the proposed ‘Stand Your Ground’ bill failed to make it to the governor’s desk. ‘Stand Your Ground’ is a reckless policy, long endorsed by the gun lobby, that gives a person unnecessary leeway to shoot to kill a person in public spaces. There is no evidence this policy deters crime. In fact, it has been shown to correlate with increases in homicides. This defeat demonstrates the gun lobby doesn’t control the Utah legislature. Utahans understand responsible gun ownership and Stand Your Ground is not it.”