Concealed handgun license holders would become anonymous under a bill approved by the Oregon House on Thursday.

prohibits public bodies from releasing information that identifies who is licensed to carry a concealed handgun. The proposal cleared the House by a wide margin, 42 to 18.

Oregon's public records law allows for public inspection of

. The application authorizes the sheriff's office to run a background check. Currently, applicants can claim personal safety reasons to keep information private.

Privacy advocates say gun ownership is no one else's business.

"It's just common decency not to put the information out there," said

, who

. The group sponsored the bill.

carried the bill on the floor. The proposal had bipartisan support, including

. The 18 nays included 17 Democrats and 1 Republican. The House is split 30-30.

Last year, the

over a two-year period. The

did not plan to publish the names, but had wanted to see how many teachers were on the list.

"I've said it many times, but I'll say it again: If the sheriff or anybody else wants to make concealed weapons permits exempt from public records laws, they should go to the Legislature and ask them to do it,"

This bill is the legislative fix.

voted against the bill, saying later that he thought it too restrictive. The proposal allows disclosure only by court order, license holder consent, or for criminal justice purposes.

"Handguns are what people use to kill people. I want to make sure citizens have a right to know if there is a threat," Greenlick said.

The bill now moves to the Senate, where a

--

<