A bill introduced in the Utah legislature would allow holders of concealed firearms permits to bring their weapons into publicly funded venues, including the Delta Center in Salt Lake City – home of the NBA'sUtah Jazzand NHL'sUtah Mammoth.
State Rep. Candice Pierucci sponsored the bill, which "prohibits a private entity that receives a certain amount of public funds from restricting a concealed carry permit holder from carrying a concealed firearm on property owned, leased, or operated by the entity in certain circumstances."
If signed into law, the measure would directly conflict with policies currently in place by the NBA and NHL.
The bill could also apply to home matches for Major League Soccer team Real Salt Lake, the Utah State Fair or even some private hospitals.
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Since 2021, Utah has allowed individuals tocarry concealed firearms in most locationswithout a concealed weapons permit – and last year, it granted permit holders the rights to carry their weapons on college campuses.
Other locations such as schools, churches and day care centers have remained completely off-limits.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Olympic venues at the 2034 Winter Games in Salt Lake City might be exempt from the proposed change. The federal government traditionally designates the Olympics as a "national security special event" and takes over many of the security functions.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Utah bill would allow concealed firearms at Utah Jazz, Mammoth games
