Utah's state gun

In the competition for looniest state in the Union (see, for example, here and here), apparently Utah also wants to be a contender.

From Gail Collins in The New York Times:

This week in Washington, Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey introduced three very modest gun regulation bills, including one making it more difficult to sell guns to people on the terror watch list.

Meanwhile, in Salt Lake City, the State Legislature is considering a bill to honor the Browning M1911 pistol by making it the official state firearm.

Guess which idea has the better chance of passage? Can I see a show of hands? Oh, you cynics, you! ...

Capitol observers say the Browning bill has an excellent chance of becoming law. Meanwhile, Lautenberg will be lucky to get a hearing. The terror of the National Rifle Association is so pervasive that President Obama did not want to poison the mood of his State of the Union address by suggesting that when somebody on the terror watch list tries to buy a gun, maybe we should do an extra check.

According to Collins, another Utah state senator suggests combining their "Browning Day" celebrations with Martin Luther King Day, for that extra bit of crazy that this situation really needed.

Yes, given the level of crazy in America these days, an official state gun wouldn't be enough by itself, not even immediately after the murders in Arizona.