Bill incentivizes gun owners to buy firearm safety device
Jan 20, 2025, 7:00 AM
FILE: Rep. Matt MacPherson, R-West Valley City, applauds a speaker during the first day of the general legislative session in the House chamber at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
The following is part of the Inside Sources series “On the Hill,” providing insight into legislation proposed by Utah lawmakers in 2025.
SALT LAKE CITY — Days after a student and teacher were killed by a 15-year-old student at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, KSL NewsRadio’s Inside Sources spoke with Utah Rep. Matt MacPherson, R-West Valley City, about a firearm safety bill he’ll propose during the 2025 General Session.
According to the bill’s current language, H.B. 143 Firearms Safety Incentives ‘establishes an income tax credit for the purchase of a firearm safety device.”
Inside Sources hosts Adam Gardiner and Leah Murray spoke with MacPherson on Dec. 17, 2024.
KSL NewsRadio edited this transcript for brevity.
GUEST, REP. MATT MACPHERSON: I actually ran [the firearm safety incentives bill] last year. We ran out of time on it … But the impetus behind this originally was a couple of youth, children, that had found firearms from their parents. One in a vehicle I believe, one in a home. [They] resulted in accidental discharges, one resulting in a death. … This bill was intended to find a way to incentivize safety devices for people. To purchase them in such a way that wouldn’t violate the Second Amendment.
HOST ADAM GARDINER: How does the bill work? Tell us what the incentive actually is.
MACPHERSON: It would be a one-time tax incentive. It would not be a credit, just simply be a rebate, up to $50 for any type of of of safety device. And it’s up to you as a as an individual, or you as a family to decide what that means.
GARDINER: A lot of these laws already exist, and people are still going to make mistakes or be negligent. … What I like about your bill is it actually says ‘we recognize that there’s a problem, but we want to incentivize you to make the decision yourself.’
MACPHERSON: And the the good news is that you start a conversation. … Your suppliers, your your retailers, they’re going to be incentivized then to advertise that this exists.
Related: Firearm safety instruction would be required in public schools under new bill
The entire podcast is below.
