SALEM -- The Oregon Senate held an emotional debate Thursday about two gun-related bills, defeating one measure aimed at prohibiting guns on school campuses and endorsing a second measure to protect the identities of 148,000 Oregonians with concealed weapons permits.

By a 14-15 vote, the Senate rejected

, which would have prohibited people from carrying weapons onto a school, college or university campus. The measure would have still allowed local boards to adopt policies allowing those with concealed weapons permits to continue to carry.

"In order to be truly safe the fewer guns at school, the better," said

Burdick, D-Portland.

But opponents argued that the tragic school shootings were not committed by people who had obtained and carried guns legally.

Senate Minority Leader

, argued that the bill does nothing more than stoke the "politics of fear" and did not offer any real assurances of safety.

By a 24-5 bipartisan vote, the Senate passed

, which would prohibit public bodies from disclosing the names or other private information of license holders except under certain circumstances. An earlier version of the bill already passed the House.

The Senate added language setting up ways for the public to get the information if, for example, a crime victim or member of the media can prove a compelling interest for the name to be revealed.

a Democrat from Eugene, described the bill as a "reasonable compromise" that "protects sensitive information that could be used for identity theft if it got into the wrong hands."

The House must approve the addition before sending that bill on to the governor, which looks likely.

For political junkies and other who might be curious. The five "no" votes on the concealed weapons measure were all Democrats: Sen. Ginny Burdick, D-Portland;

, D-Portland;

, D-Portland; Sen. Diane

, and

.

a Republican from Hillsboro who has indicated an interest in running for state Labor Commissioner, was absent and excused for both votes. He returned to the Senate floor a short time later.

Update: Starr said he missed the morning votes because he had to take his kids to the orthodontist. He said the appointments were scheduled a while ago and when the Legislature was scheduled to have finished its work by Feb. 29.

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