Law passed to keep concealed weapon permit holders a secret

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - Arkansas' list of people who have concealed weapons permits will be kept secret; this comes after a bill was signed into law on Friday.

Republican Lt. Governor Mark Darr signed the bill, SB 131, while Gov. Mike Beebe was out of town.

Beebe opposed the bill, but after it passed both houses, he said he'd let it become law without his signature. Had he vetoed the bill, legislators could have overridden the bill with simple majority votes in the House and Senate, both of which are controlled by Republicans.

"Having been an outspoken advocate for Second Amendment rights, I felt passionately that there should be no delays in signing this bill into law," Darr said in a release. "Within the bill is an emergency clause which states that once this bill is signed the State of Arkansas can no longer publicly release records concerning persons licensed to carry a concealed handgun or those applying for such a license. The release of such records is an invasion of privacy and threatens the safety and property of the persons identified."

The bill, whose purpose states that it is to protect CCP owners and applicants, is now known as Act 145.