Switch to the mobile version of this page.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Gun beat

Posted By Max Brantley on Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 2:43 PM

Here's the promised bill to close the names of concealed weapon permit holders from public inspection.

I still believe there's a public interest in access to the names of permit holders. It's about accountability -- people who have permits but shouldn't; people who should have permits for guns they carry, but don't; people best avoided. As I've said before, there's room to argue about protection of information such as address and birth dates.

There is another problem in this bill. It would make it a misdemeanor to publicly release any information from this list. Thus, should a newspaper reporter find out a felon had obtained a permit or a permit holder became a felon but didn't lose the permit, she could be charged with a crime for reporting this information. This law also seemingly would apply to those who released criminal history information about a permit applicant. I don't know if it's constitutional, but it's not good public policy to create a super secret class of people on account of their concealed weapons.

Help me: Is there any publicly gathered material excepted from the FOI whose release is punishable by a misdemeanor?

Minor side note: Information released prior to passage of this law is not covered. Thus the current list of permit holders may be published at will, without penalty.

From the ArkTimes store

Tweet

Instapaper

    Favorite
  Saving…
Share

    Comments
    
      (25)
    
Email

Comments (25)

Showing 1-25 of 25

Add a comment

Subscribe to this thread:

By Email

With RSS

Showing 1-25 of 25

More by Max Brantley

Saturday night open line: Plus, Hot Springs arrests, Jake Files troubles and a Woo, Pig! for Frank Broyles

The open line includes news on arrests at Hot Springs demonstrations; troubles for Sen. Jake Files, and an appropriate sendoff for Frnak Broyles, the fomrer Razorback coach and athletic director.
- by Max Brantley
- Aug 19, 2017
When Johnny Reb comes marching to Hot Springs

They are assembling for and against white supremacist symbols in Hot Springs today. Photographs by Brian Chilson of the Arkansas Times.
- by Max Brantley
- Aug 19, 2017
Dixie's Defenders and the scrapheap of history

And you thought the Civil War was over. Supercharged by a neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville and Donald Trump's signal of sympathy, the Rebel remnants of America and assorted white supremacists, bigots and garden variety nuts have taken up arms in defense of symbols of the Lost Cause.
- by Max Brantley
- Aug 19, 2017
More »

Readers also liked…

Jason Rapert vs. Wikipedia

Sen. Jason Rapert against the world: Wikipedia edition.
- by Max Brantley
- Jan 23, 2016
Arkansas Supreme Court refuses to rehear invalidation of marijuana act

The Arkansas Supreme Court today denied a request to rehear its decision invalidating Issue 7, the medical marijuana initiated act.
- by Max Brantley
- Nov 3, 2016
More on how highways were used to wipe out "blight" of non-white neighborhoods

Vox, a news website that concerns itself with energy and other issues, has a fine piece, including before and after images, on the history of the U.S. interstate system and why roads were built through the middle of cities (unless people of influence stopped them — see Manhattan, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.)
- by Leslie Newell Peacock
- Mar 22, 2016

Most Shared

Take yourself there: Mavis Staples coming to LR for Central High performance

Gospel and R&B singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples, who has been inspiring fans with gospel-inflected freedom songs like "I'll Take You There" and "March Up Freedom's Highway" and the poignant "Oh What a Feeling" will come to Little Rock for the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the desegregation of Central High.
Klan's president

Everything that Donald Trump does — make that everything that he says — is calculated to thrill his lustiest disciples. But he is discovering that what was brilliant for a politician is a miscalculation for a president, because it deepens the chasm between him and most Americans.
On Charlottesville

Watching the Charlottesville spectacle from halfway across the country, I confess that my first instinct was to raillery. Vanilla ISIS, somebody called this mob of would-be Nazis. A parade of love-deprived nerds marching bravely out of their parents' basements carrying tiki torches from Home Depot.

RT @KARK4News:
Arkansas Blog - Max Brantley

RT @HaydenNix: Summer decided to return! Heat index values range from upper 90s to 110! A heat advisory will remain in effect until 7 PM Su…
KARK4News

People rummage for bargains at Riverfest liquidation. What they've found » https://t.co/ETn0ltwEAt #ARnews https://t.co/hFyTUbmi3U
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

RT @KATVToddYak: Severe thunderstorm heading towards Pineville and calico rock #ARWX https://t.co/BIMWVzmzFn
KATV News

Severe Thunderstorm Warning for Izard and Stone County until 4:30pm. https://t.co/svbix1I6Vo
Fox16 News

More Headlines...

Most Viewed

When Johnny Reb comes marching to Hot Springs

They are assembling for and against white supremacist symbols in Hot Springs today. Photographs by Brian Chilson of the Arkansas Times.
Lynchings hidden in the history of the Hot Springs Confederate monument

Hot Springs twice erupted into the kind of violence that has its roots in the issues left unresolved by the Civil War, and both times, it happened right where that monument to Confederate soldiers stands today.
Dixie's Defenders and the scrapheap of history

And you thought the Civil War was over. Supercharged by a neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville and Donald Trump's signal of sympathy, the Rebel remnants of America and assorted white supremacists, bigots and garden variety nuts have taken up arms in defense of symbols of the Lost Cause.
Arkansas-linked Charlottesville marcher identified, apologizes to those misidentified

A man who says he's a former University of Arkansas student now living in New England has identified himself as the person wearing an "Arkansas Engineering" T-shirt in the Friday white supremacist march in Fayetteville. He apologized for involving UA in the story and to the professor misidentified as being the person wearing the shirt.

Most Recent Comments

Re: When Johnny Reb comes marching to Hot Springs
- In case anyone is concerned, yes, i know what Merle Haggard has said about Obama…
- Posted by deadseasquirrel
- on August 19, 2017
Re: When Johnny Reb comes marching to Hot Springs
- Maryland had no choice, Lincoln arrested the legislator and put them in Ft McHenry without…
- Posted by Charles Wright
- on August 19, 2017
Re: When Johnny Reb comes marching to Hot Springs
- To the jerk pictured wearing The Highwaymen tee shirt. take that off, you idiot. if…
- Posted by deadseasquirrel
- on August 19, 2017