From The Wilson Times (2/19/13): Names of North Carolina concealed handgun owners would be kept confidential under a bill that state Sen. Buck Newton is backing.
Senate Bill 28 would exclude concealed handgun and pistol purchase permits from the state Public Records Act. Lawmakers drafted the bill after a New York newspaper published a list of permit-holders’ names and addresses, igniting a national debate on gun-owner privacy.
“Someone’s Second Amendment right to possess a firearm should not have to lead to public ridicule and pressure,” said Newton, a Wilson Republican. “They should not have to worry about their privacy being invaded just because they choose to exercise their Second Amendment right and try to comply with the law.”
Supporters believe allowing public access to gun permits could help thieves find gun owners to target, said Sen. Stan Bingham, a Denton Republican and the bill’s primary sponsor.