A new law that makes it easier for West
Virginians to buy a handgun also makes it easier for some people
who have recently committed a crime to buy a gun.
The law allows anyone who obtains a new concealed weapons permit
to buy a gun without undergoing a federal background check. A check is required
to get the permit, so supporters of the change say a second check is redundant.
But permits are good for five years, so anyone later convicted
of a crime that should bar a gun purchase can still buy one by showing the
permit to the dealer.
The permit is supposed to be revoked if someone becomes
ineligible to buy a gun, but there's no effective mechanism for enforcement.
