Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Damon Political Report

Lawmakers consider bill to close public access to names of concealed weapon carriers

The Assembly Judiciary Committee appeared poised to quickly pass a bill closing access to public records concerning concealed weapons permits.

Assemblyman David Bobzien, D-Reno, authored Assembly Bill 143 to make confidential the names of permit holders. The bill would also allow permit holders to carry any kind of semi-automatic after demonstrating proficiency on one. Currently, the law requires permit holders to demonstrate on each weapon for which they are permitted.

The Reno Gazette-Journal won a Nevada Supreme Court decision allowing access to the records after discovering that former Gov. Jim Gibbons had his permit revoked for lying on his application.

Gibbons convinced a friend to sign off that he had qualified on multiple weapons when he hadn’t. Gibbons went back through the qualifications requirement and his permit was re-instated.

But the court decision sparked an outcry from those who carry a concealed weapon. They argue access to their names would give burglars a reason to target their homes.

“It was put in the press that certain elected officials had CCW’s,” said committee chairman William Horne, D-North Las Vegas. “Our addresses are out there.”

In the wake of the police shooting at a Summerlin Costco last year, in which concealed weapons permit holder Erik Scott was killed, the Las Vegas Sun published a story examining others in the community who hold a permit.

Only the names of permit holders who gave the Sun permission to quote them were included in the story.

A bevy of conservative activist groups supported the bill in testimony today, as did several permit holders and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Only the Nevada Press Association testified against the bill.

“I learned just here today the dangers of having this information public are so great that four people identified themselves as CCW holders,” lobbyist Trevor Hayes said after one lawmaker and three other witnesses talked about their permits in the hearing.

The committee was ready to vote the bill out when a last-minute amendment was submitted. That amendment would allow criminal defendants and civil litigants access to permit information.

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