Sounds like it's time to put the heat on Owens again.
http://www.bouldernews.com/news/local/21agsid.html
Permits may become secret
Owens considering proposal to close permit information to public
By Sandra Fish and Christopher Anderson
Camera Staff Writers
Boulder city firefighter Richard "Rick" Basiliere received a concealed-gun permit from Boulder County Sheriff George Epp .
Then he pulled out a gun and set it on top of his car in a traffic incident, causing Epp to set in motion action to pull the permit, the sheriff said. Basiliere voluntarily give up his permit and never asked for it back, according to Epp.
Now, Basiliere is serving 30 days in jail after a Larimer County conviction for shooting a "warning" shot at his girlfriend's estranged husband.
Private investigator Brett Sawyer, too, had his permit revoked after he pleaded guilty to charges resulting from the sale of coroner's photos of JonBenét Ramsey to a tabloid.
But depending on Gov. Bill Owens
Owens
' decision, the public might never know who has a permit to carry a concealed gun — unless they're convicted of a crime with it.
House Bill 1114 would close the names of concealed-weapon permit owners to the public. Only if a person were convicted of a gun-related offense would information on the permit holder become available.
Owens has until June 2 to make up his mind on the bill.
"He has not taken action on 1114," governor's spokesman Dick Wadhams said Friday. "No idea of when he will. He's still thinking about it."
Earlier this month, Owens said he has reservations about the bill. He didn't elaborate at the time.
If the law were in effect now, Basiliere's permit information would have been public after his conviction, but not Sawyer's, because his offense wasn't weapon-related.
Many sheriffs revoke permits when someone is convicted of a crime. The only other permit Epp has revoked is that of Forrest Leigh, who was cleaning one of his guns three years ago when it went off and killed a neighbor.
That neighbor was Tara Coakley, daughter of Anne Coakley, who recently returned from the Million Mom March against guns in Washington, D.C.
Coakley testified earlier this year in favor of keeping the concealed weapons permit records open.
"I certainly wanted to know when the man who killed my daughter held a concealed weapon permit," Coakley said. "Carrying a concealed weapon is a privilege, so I think that the public is entitled to know."
At the Million Mom March, Coakley learned of a program in another state called ASK. Before parents allow their children to play at a neighbor's house, they are urged to ask whether there is a gun inside the house.
The program exists "because children are picking up guns and are killing other children," Coakley said.
A public record of who owns a gun in their neighborhood helps parents protect their children, Coakley said.
But legislators like Sen. Ken Chlouber, one of the sponsors of HB1114, say making permit holders' names public places them in harm's way. In advocating for the bill during the session, the Leadville Republican brandished a copy of the Fort Collins Coloradoan, a daily newspaper in which names of Larimer County permit holders were published. Making names public, Chlouber said, lets criminals know who in the community is carrying a gun.
Lee Hill, a Boulder attorney, also says the names should be kept secret.
"The people who have permits to carry guns are not criminals," Lee said. "It would be like listing the names of people who have purchased a home security system."
Hill said the purpose of a concealed weapon is to allow gun owners to discreetly protect themselves.
"They ought to call them revealed weapons permits," Hill said of the public lists.
Coakley counters that she often receives phone calls, e-mails and gun magazine subscriptions from gun rights advocates who are opposed to her views.
"Isn't that an invasion of my privacy?" she asked.
Contact Sandra Fish at (303) 473-1356 or fishs@thedailycamera.com. Contact Christopher Anderson at (303) 473-1355 or andersonc@thedailycamera.com.
May 21, 2000
Copyright 2000 The Daily Camera.
http://www.bouldernews.com/news/local/21agsid.html
Permits may become secret
Owens considering proposal to close permit information to public
By Sandra Fish and Christopher Anderson
Camera Staff Writers
Boulder city firefighter Richard "Rick" Basiliere received a concealed-gun permit from Boulder County Sheriff George Epp .
Then he pulled out a gun and set it on top of his car in a traffic incident, causing Epp to set in motion action to pull the permit, the sheriff said. Basiliere voluntarily give up his permit and never asked for it back, according to Epp.
Now, Basiliere is serving 30 days in jail after a Larimer County conviction for shooting a "warning" shot at his girlfriend's estranged husband.
Private investigator Brett Sawyer, too, had his permit revoked after he pleaded guilty to charges resulting from the sale of coroner's photos of JonBenét Ramsey to a tabloid.
But depending on Gov. Bill Owens
Owens
' decision, the public might never know who has a permit to carry a concealed gun — unless they're convicted of a crime with it.
House Bill 1114 would close the names of concealed-weapon permit owners to the public. Only if a person were convicted of a gun-related offense would information on the permit holder become available.
Owens has until June 2 to make up his mind on the bill.
"He has not taken action on 1114," governor's spokesman Dick Wadhams said Friday. "No idea of when he will. He's still thinking about it."
Earlier this month, Owens said he has reservations about the bill. He didn't elaborate at the time.
If the law were in effect now, Basiliere's permit information would have been public after his conviction, but not Sawyer's, because his offense wasn't weapon-related.
Many sheriffs revoke permits when someone is convicted of a crime. The only other permit Epp has revoked is that of Forrest Leigh, who was cleaning one of his guns three years ago when it went off and killed a neighbor.
That neighbor was Tara Coakley, daughter of Anne Coakley, who recently returned from the Million Mom March against guns in Washington, D.C.
Coakley testified earlier this year in favor of keeping the concealed weapons permit records open.
"I certainly wanted to know when the man who killed my daughter held a concealed weapon permit," Coakley said. "Carrying a concealed weapon is a privilege, so I think that the public is entitled to know."
At the Million Mom March, Coakley learned of a program in another state called ASK. Before parents allow their children to play at a neighbor's house, they are urged to ask whether there is a gun inside the house.
The program exists "because children are picking up guns and are killing other children," Coakley said.
A public record of who owns a gun in their neighborhood helps parents protect their children, Coakley said.
But legislators like Sen. Ken Chlouber, one of the sponsors of HB1114, say making permit holders' names public places them in harm's way. In advocating for the bill during the session, the Leadville Republican brandished a copy of the Fort Collins Coloradoan, a daily newspaper in which names of Larimer County permit holders were published. Making names public, Chlouber said, lets criminals know who in the community is carrying a gun.
Lee Hill, a Boulder attorney, also says the names should be kept secret.
"The people who have permits to carry guns are not criminals," Lee said. "It would be like listing the names of people who have purchased a home security system."
Hill said the purpose of a concealed weapon is to allow gun owners to discreetly protect themselves.
"They ought to call them revealed weapons permits," Hill said of the public lists.
Coakley counters that she often receives phone calls, e-mails and gun magazine subscriptions from gun rights advocates who are opposed to her views.
"Isn't that an invasion of my privacy?" she asked.
Contact Sandra Fish at (303) 473-1356 or fishs@thedailycamera.com. Contact Christopher Anderson at (303) 473-1355 or andersonc@thedailycamera.com.
May 21, 2000
Copyright 2000 The Daily Camera.