CO: Chlouber gun bill draws fire (Shall-issue CCW)

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Chlouber gun bill draws fireOpponents say new law would force the police to issue firearm permitsBy John Sanko, News Capitol BureauGun-control groups are drawing a bead on Gov. Bill Owens' call for a statewide standard for issuing concealed weapons permits, saying it will put more firearms in the wrong hands. Currently a police chief or sheriff can set his or her own criteria for issuing the permits. Some do so freely. In other jurisdictions, it's almost impossible to get a permit. Owens in his State of the State message to lawmakers last week urged them to pass statewide standards. Sen. Ken Chlouber, R-Leadville, said his SB 60 will do just that. Chlouber's bill sets age, residency and training requirements for people getting permits and bars anyone with a criminal backgrounds from being issued one. Another bill, HB 1147, by Rep. Mark Cloer, R-Colorado Springs, would keep secret the names of permit holders. SAFE Colorado, Colorado Ceasefire, the Million Mom March, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and Physicians for Social Responsibility came out against Chlouber's bill Wednesday. The groups say the bill would force sheriffs and police to issue the permits. "If this law is passed, a 7-11 clerk would have more discretion when selling cigarettes than a sheriff would have when issuing a concealed handgun permit," said John Head, co-president of SAFE Colorado. Owens is standing by his argument that Colorado needs a statewide law and Chlouber insists his bill protects rather than endangers people. "The fact is right now in Colorado, we have a haphazard patchwork of conflicting regulations that even allow authorities to issue permits for people living outside their own jurisdictions," said Owens' spokesman Dan Hopkins. "Bringing some sense and consistency to this maze of regulations is long overdue." Head doesn't disagree that there are currently abuses, including last year's decision by the town of Stratton to issue permits to people throughout the state. "But what they want to cure the existing problem with is a bill that would require police chiefs or sheriffs to issue permits -- that's what the gun lobby wants and they dress it with standards," Head said. Chlouber said he'd love to sit down and talk with the critics, a meeting that Head said he'd certainly agree to before the bill is heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee. No hearing date has been set. "Today's law allows guns in kindergarten," Chlouber said. "The proposal that I'm making for standards across the state prevents that." Specifically the bill declares a permit holder is not authorized to carry a handgun into any place where it is barred by federal law or on school grounds, unless it is in a locked compartment within his or her vehicle. Private property owners also can bar them. "Today's law says any sheriff or chief of police may issue a permit to carry weapons concealed. That's today's law, period. They can issue those permits to anybody anywhere anytime at no charge with no investigation and no restrictions," Chlouber said. "A sheriff can walk outside his office, sit on the courthouse steps and start handing them out like popcorn." http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/legislature/article/0,1299,DRMN_37_943596,00.html