Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW West Coast leads way in automatic voter registration ... Central Point man nabs suspect for Medford police ... UPDATED: Republican Allen Alley announces bid for Oregon governor ... West Coast leads way in automatic voter registration ... Central Point man nabs suspect for Medford police ... UPDATED: Republican Allen Alley announces bid for Oregon governor ... State House OKs bill regulating handgun data The measure, approved 54-4, limits public access to concealed handgun license lists SALEM — The Oregon House overwhelmingly approved a bill Monday to limit public access to information about concealed handgun license holders. Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted May. 5, 2009 at 12:01 AM By The Associated Press Posted May. 5, 2009 at 12:01 AM » Social News SALEM — The Oregon House overwhelmingly approved a bill Monday to limit public access to information about concealed handgun license holders. The issue arose after the Mail Tribune and other news organizations sought to obtain lists of people with those licenses. On a 54-4 vote, the House backed the measure with supporters asserting that public disclosure of that information would jeopardize the personal safety of concealed handgun license holders. Under the bill, the concealed handgun license information would be exempt from disclosure under Oregon's open records law unless someone can make a compelling case that the public interest would be served by opening it. Local sheriffs would decide on a case-by-case basis. One of those who voted against the measure, Rep. Larry Galizio, said there's no compelling reason to make it so difficult for citizens to check to see who is getting concealed handgun licenses from local sheriffs. "This is a classic solution in search of a problem," the Tigard Democrat said. However, one of the chief sponsors of the bill said open records laws should be used to hold government agencies accountable, not to publicly disclose information about private citizens. "Government records should be about government programs, and not about whether a single mom living in some remote area of the state has a permit to protect herself and her children," said Rep. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer. The issue has been of interest and contention in Jackson County since 2007 when the Mail Tribune requested a list of license holders' names as part of its reporting on a South Medford High School teacher who unsuccessfully sued the school district for refusing to allow her to bring a handgun onto campus. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters denied the Mail Tribune's request, arguing that the records are not public because disclosure would compromise license holders' personal security. The paper responded with a suit against Winters for failure to release public records. A Jackson County judge ruled in favor of the newspaper and Winters agreed to release the handgun license issued to South Medford teacher Shirley Katz, who already had revealed her identity. Katz's case against the Medford School District has been heard by the Oregon Court of Appeals, but no opinion has yet been issued. Last December, sheriffs around Oregon sent letters to concealed weapon license holders, asking whether they want the information released if it is requested as a public record. Several sheriffs who testified on the bill said the response was overwhelmingly in favor of keeping those records secret. House Bill 2727 now goes to the Senate. Nearly 110,000 Oregonians have gotten concealed weapon licenses by undergoing background checks and firearms training. The Mail Tribune contributed to this report. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted May. 5, 2009 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501