Governor Signs Bill Barring Disclosure of Gun Permit Owners

With the stroke of a pen, Gov. Pat Quinn barred the public from knowing who holds a firearm owner identification card.

Quinn signed into law Saturday the measure that Illinois lawmakers overwhelming passed in May. The new law is a victory for gun owners who say they have a right to privacy over open-government advocates who say such records should not be secret. In a 42-1 vote, the Senate passed a measure overturning a ruling by Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office that said the names are public under the state's open records law.

Quinn has said he agrees the information should remain confidential. Illinois follows the lead of Florida and Tennessee, which shut off access to information about people with permits to carry concealed firearms after newspapers revealed significant lapses.