Concealed-carry Permit Holders Information Made Private in New Arkansas Law

At the Arkansas Legislature, a bill is headed into law without the signature of the governor.

Governor Mike Beebe has decided that he will not veto Senate Bill 131, which makes secret all personal information of concealed-carry permit holders in Arkansas.

In 2009, a legislative compromise was reached that bolstered the privacy of permit holders while still preserving the public's right to access information. Without evidence of any problems resulting from this compromise over the past four years, Governor Beebe saw no need to further restrict information and opposed the bill.

However, with overwhelming support in both houses and no constitutional concerns about the bill, Beebe has decided to let the bill go into law without his signature, and that will happen next Monday.