LITTLE ROCK — A bill to prohibit the release of the names and other information of Arkansans who hold permits to carry concealed handguns cleared a House committee Thursday.
House Bill 1623 by Rep. Randy Stewart, D-Kirby, received a “do pass” from the House Judiciary Committee. The bill would make records regarding concealed-carry permits exempt from the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
Stewart, a former Olympic shooter, filed the bill after a weekly newspaper made a list of the names and addresses of permit holders in the state available on its Web site last month.
One permit holder’s car was broken into and his gun was stolen two days after the Arkansas Times made the list available, Stewart said.
“When you tell the bad guys where the good guys have their guns, you’re asking for trouble,” he said.
Arkansas Times publisher Alan Leveritt spoke against the bill and defended the newspaper’s decision to make the list available. He said newspapers in Memphis, Tenn., and Orlando, Fla., reviewed the names of concealed-carry permit holders and found several who were convicted felons.
“I think the one thing that we can all agree on is the most important thing is to keep these permits from falling into the hands of convicted felons. If that is what you want to do, there is nothing worse you could do than to hide the names of the people with these permits,” Leveritt said.
The committee endorsed the bill in a voice vote. At least one “no” vote was heard.
The bill advances to the full House, where it has strong support: Fifty-four House members have signed on as co-sponsors.
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