By Andrew Welsh-Huggins
The Associated Press

COLUMBUS - Gov. Bob Taft defended his threat to veto the first bill to land on his desk allowing people to carry hidden guns, saying it didn't provide enough access to permit records.

"We really came very close to a bill that I could sign and it's regrettable that we did not, but the public records portion of the bill is simply too limiting," Taft said Thursday. "We were working very hard yesterday to work with the legislators to reach consensus on a bill. Unfortunately we didn't make it."

Taft originally wanted the names of concealed gun permit holders to be a public record.

His fellow Republican lawmakers balked, but responded with a compromise that would have allowed reporters to access permits only after they provide the names of people whose records they are requesting.

A similar provision exists in law involving information about police officers and firefighters.

Taft offered his own compromise: allow only reporters access to the records. The Senate agreed; the House did not.