Gun backers claim momentum among state governments

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Gun-rights groups gained momentum for their cause this year after a series of victories at the state level made it easier to legally carry concealed weapons.

Alaska Gov. Frank Murkowski, a Republican, signed a bill in June that allows residents to carry concealed weapons without applying for a special permit. The new law would also allow permit-holders from any state to freely carry their weapons in Alaska.

The Missouri legislature is poised to soon override the veto of Gov. Bob Holden, a Democrat, and validate a bill passed this spring allowing the right to carry concealed weapons.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court last month defied a 130-year-old ban on carrying concealed weapons, ruling that "if the constitutional right to keep and bear arms is to mean anything, it must, as a general matter, permit a person to ... sometimes conceal arms" to protect himself.

In May, a new Colorado law took effect that allows "any competent person over 21" who "can show proper training in handgun use" to receive a concealed carry permit. Local authorities report that enrollments for handgun safety classes are "swelling."

And in Minnesota, a liberal enclave historically hostile to gun rights, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, signed a bill in April that made that state the 35th to permit concealed firearms. Before 1987, only 10 states allowed the carrying of a concealed weapon.

All of these laws greatly reduce red tape, no longer requiring individuals to convince authorities they have a compelling need to carry a concealed weapon. As long as they qualify by age, and in many instances complete a firearms course, they get the permit.

Gun-control groups say the passage of these laws doesn't actually reflect the will of the people, citing various surveys that show antipathy or opposition to questions about how they'd feel if their neighbors were armed with a concealed weapon.

They pin the legislative success of these measures on the influence of one source -- the National Rifle Association.