Nick – I appreciate your testimony to the committee. I wish more citizens like you had attended. Perhaps the committee is not doing an adequate job of advertising its meetings and agendas. Please let me know if you have any suggestions.
We received only ten emails from citizens with similar concerns as you. Those emails are provided in a link on the sunshine committee’s website on its agenda.
http://www.atg.wa.gov/page.aspx?id=31052. I am attaching them for your review.
Your interpretation of the RCW below is the current position of the Department of Licensing (and I agree with it). The information, whether it is on the application or license, is exempt and should remain confidential. It may be necessary to strengthen the wording as I am concerned that some counties do not interpret the law as you and I. There seems to be ambiguity among municipal attorneys. The Municipal Research and Services Center of WA released a recent
e-newsletter on the issue and concluded that the names and addresses of permit holders are not exempt.
As I said during the meeting, I am a member of the NRA. My personal perspective is that the recent shootings in the news across the nation reflect a societal decay, and that is not a reason to attack gun rights or to invade the privacy of concealed carry permit holders. I too have a daughter and I teach her about individual responsibility and respecting others.
Let’s stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Tim Ford
Open Government Ombudsman
Assistant Attorney General for Government Accountability
Attorney General of Washington
1125 Washington St, SE
Olympia, WA 98504
(360) 586-4802
timf@atg.wa.gov
http://www.atg.wa.gov/OpenGovernment/Ombudsman.aspx
DISCLAIMER: This email is subject to public disclosure pursuant to Ch 42.56 RCW. This email is not intended or offered to provide legal advice or legal representation by the Office of the Attorney General to any recipient.
From: Nick [mailto:xxxxxxxxx@comcast.net]
Sent: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 6:39 PM
To: ATG MI AGO Ombudsman
Subject: Sunshine Committee
Mr. Ford,
Thank you for your kind words today in regards to my testimony in front of the Sunshine Committee. I look forward to any other assistance I can give the committee in regards to CPL's and public records/public disclosure.
I do suspect that the issue is already covered in state law as RCW 42.56.240 says:
"(4) License applications under RCW
9.41.070; copies of license applications
or information on the applications may be released to law enforcement or corrections agencies; "
The information on the applications is identical to the application, however, strengthening the wording may be advantageous.
Regards,
Nick Smith