Packing Heat in the Mountain State

The Associated Press explores a pending bill that would restrict access to the state's rosters of concealed weapon permit holders.

Among other factors, "supporters object to newspapers publishing lists of permit holders, a relatively common practice in West Virginia," AP's Tom Breen found.

But Breen also hears from "advocates for gun control and open government," who "contend the permits should remain a matter of public record."

Domestic violence has become an issue within the debate. Amid a series of domestic-related murder-suicides, "both sides use victims of domestic violence to bolster their positions," Breen reports.

The issue is not restricted to West Virginia, Breen found. "This month, after the Glens Falls Post-Star in New York submitted a request under the Freedom of Information Law for the names of permit holders in three counties, gun owners and their supporters raised objections even before a story was written," he wrote. "In response to the newspaper's request, a New York gun club posted the names, addresses and telephone numbers of editors and reporters at the paper on its Web site."

Breen's article notes that the bill was removed from the House's Thursday schedule, where it was slated for a vote on passage. The Charleston Gazette also reports on that development, while also polling Kanawha and Putnam county lawmakers on the bill.