Concealed-weapons secrecy gains

Bill allows deletion of permit holder's ID from files or requires notice of release

Friday, March 01, 2002 - The names of people given government permission to carry concealed weapons could be kept secret under legislation approved by a House committee Thursday.

A sheriff or other police agency could either delete all identifying information from files if requested by reporters or members of the public, or would have to give the permit holder 10 days' notice that his or her name is being released, under an amended version of House Bill 1147.

The measure passed the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee by a 5-4 vote, with Democrats on the committee opposing it, and was sent to the full House for consideration.

"The public has the right to know what action the government has taken, and the custodian of the information should have the obligation to make the information available," said Greg Romberg, representing the CPA.

But Rep. Mark Cloer, sponsor of House Bill 1147, said confidentiality is a public-safety issue. "If you're a woman in a domestic-violence situation and you get a concealed-carry permit, do you really want the person stalking you to know that? The stalker might take more distant action against you," the Colorado Springs Republican said. "The reason people apply for a concealed-carry permit is because they don't want to carry it on their chest."

Two years ago, a similar bill made it to the governor's desk and was vetoed. Last year, a lookalike measure was killed by a Senate committee. Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, is expected to carry this year's bill in the Senate.

Rep. Rob Fairbank, R-Littleton, said the legislation was prompted by the publication in a Fort Collins newspaper three years ago of the names of holders of carry permits in the area.

Another element tucked into the bill, which some described as unrelated to the main provision, would create a crime of "dissemination of false information" if someone lies to gain admittance to a hospital and avoids paying the bill. Cloer said he was a victim of a $13,000 fraud last year when someone used his own name but Cloer's address and telephone number, possibly obtained from private documents, for a two-day hospital stay.

"It is costing hospitals a lot of money and adding millions of dollars to the cost of health care," said Cloer, whose bill carries the general title "Concerning Public Information Requirements."

Gun permit secrecy clears House panel

By Sandra Fish

Camera Staff Writer

DENVER — Names of concealed gun permit holders likely would be kept secret under a bill approved by a House committee Thursday.

An amendment to House Bill 1147, however, would allow county sheriffs to reveal the identities of some permit holders if they notified the individuals by registered mail or in person. Sheriffs would have to wait 10 days after mailing the letters to release the names.

Sheriffs could identify permit holders who have their permits revoked or are convicted of a crime involving a firearm.

The House State Affairs Committee approved the amendment and the bill in 5-4 party-line votes.

This is the third year Republicans have tried to make the names of concealed gun permit holders secret. Two years ago, Gov. Bill Owens vetoed the bill. Last year, the Senate Judiciary Committee killed it.

Rep. Rob Fairbank, R-Littleton, said he wants to keep the names out of the hands of newspapers, some of which have published the names in the past.

"The intent of the bill and the intent of the amendment is to try to keep the names from being made public," Fairbank said.

Although sheriffs could follow the procedure of notifying permit holders whose names they were making public, the cost of notifying people and displeasure among permit holders might sway them not to bother.

"It could be a pretty pricey deal, especially if you're El Paso County" where thousands of permits have been issued, said Boulder County Sheriff George Epp.

Epp said he recalled reading news stories as a youth about the Denver sheriff issuing concealed gun permits.

"They'd give them to their cronies and all that," he said.

Denver no longer issues the permits. Epp does, but he lets people know the list of names is public.

"We're middle ground on this; we don't release the address," Epp said.

The Colorado Press Association, which represents the Daily Camera and other newspapers around the state, opposes the bill. CPA lobbyist Greg Romberg told the committee Thursday that classifying the permit names a criminal justice record would be fine. That would give sheriffs the ability to make exceptions in releasing the names, such as for victims of domestic violence.

"Our belief is that anytime a government takes an action like issuing a permit, the action of the government should be available to the public," Romberg told the committee.

"If somebody's got that permit because they're being stalked, that's an area you may want that permit to be (secret)."

The committee defeated a provision in Rep. Mark Cloer's bill that would have allowed elected officials such as legislators — or their aides — access to dependency and neglect records. Cloer, R-Colorado Springs, has been involved with parents who complained about how social service workers handled their cases and want access to the records.

One of the committee members said he hoped to add that provision back on the House floor, the bill's next stop.

Contact Sandra Fish at (303) 473-1356 or at fishs@thedailycamera.com.

to your comment above. good stuff

all is fair in this war. Time to label this group for what they are?

Israel says U.S. gun-control groups should be considered terrorist allies. Fort Washington is exhibiting these same terrorist group profiles. Never give up. Semper Fi

here is some more stuff.

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THE FOUNDATION

"Put none but Americans on guard tonight." --George Washington

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What particular group of Americans do you want to get rid of? Honest citizens or predators. American Citizens wants to get rid of the predators.

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Just because we the audience tolerance your stupid gun control laws it does not mean we exhibit stupidity.

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Subject: My pledge to honor the founders. Let us not forget!

I sat in a movie theater watching "Schindler's List," asked myself, "Why didn't the Jews fight back?" Now I know why.

I sat in a movie theater, watching "Pearl Harbor" and asked myself, "Why weren't we prepared?" Now I know why.

Civilized people cannot fathom, much less predict, the actions of evil people. On September 11, dozens of capable airplane passengers allowed themselves to be overpowered by a handful of poorly armed terrorists because they did not comprehend the depth of hatred that motivated their captors.

On September 11, thousands of innocent people were murdered because too Many Americans naively reject the reality that some nations are dedicated to the dominance of others. Many Americans naively reject the reality that the domestic enemy within are dedicated to the dominance of others.

Many political pundits, pacifists and media personnel want us to forget The carnage. They say we must focus on the bravery of the rescuers and ignore the cowardice of the killers.

They implore us to understand the motivation of the perpetrators. Major television stations have announced they will assist the healing process by not replaying devastating footage of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers.

I will not be manipulated.
I will not pretend to understand.
I will not forget.
I will not forget the liberal media
who abused freedom of the press to kick our country when it was vulnerable and hurting. I will not forget that CBS anchor Dan Rather preceded President Bush's address to the nation with the snide remark, "No matter how you feel about him, he is still our president."

I will not forget that ABC TV anchor Peter Jennings questioned President Bush's motives for not returning immediately to Washington, DC and commented, "We're all pretty skeptical and cynical about Washington."

And I will not forget that ABC's Mark Halperin warned if reporters weren't informed of every little detail of this war, they aren't "likely – nor should they be expected - to show deference."

I will not underestimate the intelligence of our adversary who patiently planned and meticulously orchestrated a devastating act of war.

I will not forget that the terrorists desire a world society where women are chattel and freedom is forbidden.

I will not isolate myself from my fellow Americans by pretending an Attack on the USS Cole in Yemen was not an attack on the United States of America.

I will not forget the Clinton administration equipped Islamic terrorists and their supporters with the world's most sophisticated Telecommunications equipment and encryption technology, thereby compromising America's ability to trace terrorist radio, cell phone, land lines, faxes and modem communications.

I will not be appeased with pointless, quick retaliatory strikes like Those perfected by the previous administration.

I will not be comforted by "feel-good, do nothing" regulations like the silly "Have your bags been under your control?" question at the airport.

I will not be influenced by so called, "antiwar demonstrators" who exploit the right of statement to chant anti-American obscenities.

I will not forget the moral victory handed the North Vietnamese by American war protesters who reviled and spat upon the returning soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines.

I will not be softened by the wishful thinking of pacifists who chose reassurance over reality.

I will embrace the wise words of Prime Minister Tony Blair who told Labor Party conference, "They have no moral inhibition on the slaughter of the innocent. If they could have murdered not 7,000 but 70,000, does anyone doubt they would have done so and rejoiced in it?

There is no compromise possible with such people, no meeting of minds, no point of understanding with such terror. Just a choice: defeat it or be defeated by it. And defeat it we must!"

I will force myself to:
-hear the weeping
-feel the helplessness
-imagine the terror
-sense the panic
-smell the burning flesh
-experience the loss
-remember the hatred I sat in a movie theater,

watching in quiet reverence as the blood of young soldier's turned the sands of Normandy beach red in "Private Ryan" and asked myself,

"Where did they find the courage?"

Now I know.

We have no choice.

Living without liberty is not living

**********

Author unknown

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"You can't ever wipe out evil," Fox News Channel star O'Reilly tells the new issue of Esquire. "But it's like if someone comes to your house bent on killing you or your family, what do you do? You don't negotiate with them. You don't try and understand why they're coming in to kill you and your family. You kill them."

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