LePage signs bill to block access to concealed weapons permit information

[RBInMaine]

19. Mainers are practical and thoughtful folks, so here is what I think will happen:

I think this issue will become much more comprehensive in scope and that a very thorough official and public debate will occur.
Already there was an amendment to this temporary measure offered to extend it to other forms of licensure so that it would not be about "special rights" just for concealed weapons holders. While that failed because they wanted to get this temporary measure done quickly, you are going to see that point be made again and again BIGTIME as this continues to air out in the public domain. The progressive organization Maine Majority, as you know, already put out an online petition saying "No to special rights just for concealed weapons carriers." It just didn't have time to gain a ton of traction since this all happened so fast.

Make no mistake. This is going to be a very comprehensive debate and the mantra of "special rights" is going to take hold in a big way from the more progressive side just as the conservatives used "special rights" so much in the past to argue against gay rights bills. Only in this case, it really is a matter of a special exemption for one vocal group. Progressive groups know that the NRA/SAM types are going to frame this as a way to try to chip away at common sense gun control measures and are going to link it to that issue, when it is objectively really an issue about broader privacy rights. And that is going to inflame many who support common sense gun control, even in a hunting state like Maine, and it is also going to anger a lot of middle of the road folks who want it to be about privacy rights and not just gun rights.

So there is going to be demanded a comprehensive re-examination of the whole Freedom of Access law. They are going to have to proceed carefully, fairly, and comprehensively as more people and more groups and viewpoints become involved in this. You might even see a court challenge to this temporary measure on the grounds that it is a special right extended to one class but not others. This whole thing is going to have a major league public airing in the media, on the blogs, and in Augusta. So far there has only been a flash-in-the-pan reaction mainly with gun advocates being very vocal, but I think even now it has a great deal of general public support because most Mainers see it as larger privacy rights issue, not just a gun rights issue. This is going to continue to broaden bigtime.

I think what will happen in the end is some kind of permanent modification to the current Freedom of Access law including more restrictions on concealed carry information access AS WELL AS greater restrictions on information about other licensure too such as hunting, fishing, and business licenses. I really think people are going to demand it because the "special rights" argument will take hold and will be powerful, and Mainers will view this as a larger privacy rights matter and not just a gun rights matter. I think we will at least likely see permanent reforms requiring compelling need-to-know provisions and possibly judicial review before information is disclosed, if not an outright ban on disclosure, and it will most likely include more than just concealed weapons permits. It is a healthy debate, one that is overdue, and an area of law that most will agree does need reform. Mainers want fairness and will want it to be more comprehensive and not just about "special rights" for concealed weapons holders. So you are going to see a big debate and a lot of compromise, as it should be. And that is generally the Maine way. We usually get things pretty correct up here.