SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Gary Herbert's veto of HB76, the controversial "constitutional carry" gun bill, will stand after both houses failed to obtain the two-thirds vote needed to convene a special session to override the governor's veto.
Friday was the last day for the Legislature to vote whether to hold a special session, and both houses had to obtain a constitutional two-thirds majority. The vote was 41-33-1 in the House and 13-16 in the Senate.
Speaker of the House Becky Lockhart, R-Provo, said there were various reasons why legislators may have voted against convening a session, including the estimated $30,000 it would have cost to hold it.
"We knew going into the poll that it was going to be close. It appears more people than were anticipated changed their vote," Lockhart said.
The bill would have allowed Utahns to carry a concealed firearm without a permit.