Victory in Virginia for CCW permit holders

[98C5]

Source: http://wsls.com/servlet/Satellite?p...LS_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173353728043

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A state advisory council has endorsed a bill that would prohibit the state police from releasing its database of Virginians with concealed handgun permits.

The Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council began looking into the issue after The Roanoke Times published an online database earlier this year containing the personal information of permit holders in Virginia.

The database accompanied a column on Sunshine Week, a national initiative to promote the importance of open government and records.

The newspaper removed the database after receiving hundreds of complaints.

The state police stopped distributing the information in April on the advice of Attorney General Bob McDonnell. The draft legislation endorsed yesterday by the council would make the ban permanent.

Records of the permits would still be available at circuit courts, which issue the permits.

 

[gravis86]

Wow, you scared me with the "Victory... over".
You should have written "Victory... for".

Oh well. No matter how you worded it, the main thing is that we won!

 

[Bubbles]

Good first step. Now a legiscritter has to introduce the bill, it has to pass both the House and Senate of the General Assembly next year (and the Senate is controlled by the Dems), and then anti-gun Democrat Governor Kaine has to sign it.

 

[rjohnson4405]

Yeah wording needs change, over to for...

 

[98C5]

Oops, sorry all - changed.

 

[TheReeves]

Nice to see it happen, I think it will go all the way. How close to Roanoke are you 98C5?

 

[Eric F]

How might I ask is this a victory? As posted any one can look up any ony on the state court records site and see the folks that have a ccw it just takes more work. I looked up my neighbors today just to check.....I found it interesting that some ones wife has a permit but the husband does not some what backwards for the norm.

 

[98C5]

25 miles south in Rocky Mount.

 

[98C5]

How might I ask is this a victory?

Because MANY CCW holders were up in arms(no pun intended) when the Roanoke Times published all of our names in the paper. The writer said it was the right of th citizens to know who can carry a concealed weapon. This list included names AND addresses. (Including many judges, LEO's, etc) Basically giving a list for theives to know where firearms may be located.

 

[Eric F]

My point is all of this info can be found else where. If some how the other sources of information could be blocked I would agree that this is a victory.
This news good it makes things more difficlut to fing the information but does not completly block it. Btw I did see the article on the internet its just not cool or ethical but if it is public available information how could you legaly stop them from printing any information. The same thing happened about 10 years before that with FFL holders but I do not remember what happened with that.

 

[98C5]

Your right Eric, it does not completely block it. But it keeps newspapers, like the Roanoke Rag, and the like from publishing the list again.

 

[tinygnat219]

No, this decision does nothing to prevent newspapers from publishing the complete list again. Look at the bottom line. Lists are still available at local courthouses.

 

[Floppy_D]

It doesn't stop me from CC'ing, one way or another.

 

[Robert Hairless]

Whatever will the Roanoke Times find to fill its pages if it can't publish the names and addresses of concealed weapons permit holders.

Perhaps it can assign Christian Trejbal to publish the names, addresses, and ages of school kids. Or maybe the names and addresses of elderly people who live alone. There's always the names and addresses of women who have orders of protection against their husbands.

In any event there are a great many classes of people who can be exploited by an enterprising newspaper willing to put them at risk. I'd bet that the Roanoke Times can stay several steps ahead of any legislators who can be persuaded to close access to such information.

Besides, not many of those potentially at-risk classes of people have organizations like the VCDL and leadership like Philip Van Cleave looking out for their interests.

 

[ZeSpectre]

The original thread on this matter (for quick reference)
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=261555

 

[PennsyPlinker]

I think if this goes through, a bunch of people should write the Roanoke Times thanking them for helping the cause by getting lawmakers to act!

 

[tinygnat219]

Just a word of caution here folks, this is no victory to be certain. All this does is stop the publishing of the whole list from the State Police, the localities will still have the lists available.

 

[Robert Hairless]

Every significant conflict involves a great many small battles. Triumph goes to those who focus on the goal instead of on the outcome of intermediate battles, whether they are won or lost. The victors have the vision, wisdom, maturity, and patience to persist in pursuing the goal despite losing some battles and winning others. The losers are those who quit first or who discourage many others on their side from continuing the fight.

Don't turn this significant win into a loss simply because you have some need for a more dramatic outcome.