Ohio Gov. Bob Taft is on target - and he should stay on target to veto the flawed concealed carry bill passed by the House and Senate.

The only remaining sticking point for the governor in passing a sensible concealed carry law was H.B. 12's denial of public access to records of concealed carry licensees. Public access to the records is a strong safeguard to make sure county sheriffs are responsibly issuing permits and keeping guns away from those unfit or ineligible to carry them.

But H.B. 12 would have allowed only journalists to access the county lists, and then only if they could provide the names of licensees in each request. Late Wednesday, the Senate agreed to a compromise acceptable to Taft - only journalists could have access, but they could request the entire index of names. But House Speaker Larry Householder couldn't line up the necessary votes for an amendment. Householder said he has the votes to override a veto, but Senate President Doug White said the Senate doesn't have enough to override.

Gun groups view registration of gun owners or anything resembling it as poison. They oppose letting people find out who might be armed. The Senate compromise on access by journalists would have been no threat, although we believe it was still flawed. Who, for instance, would determine what constituted a "journalist"?

Ohio is one of only six states that still denies or severely restricts concealed carry. In September, the Ohio Supreme Court rejected a challenge brought by a group of Cincinnatians and ruled to keep Ohio's confusing law in place. Under the current law, the only way to establish it's OK for you to conceal a gun for job or safety purposes is to be arrested and prove your innocence at trial.

That needs to change.

Taft insists he is not philosophically opposed to concealed carry. But he won't sign a bill opposed by law enforcement and he wants public access to the gun records. Law enforcement agencies were supportive or neutral on the Senate version.

Taft in November asked lawmakers to make licensees' names, date of birth and county a matter of public record. Taft was right then and he's right now. We need a workable law that is open and transparent in its operation. The public has a right to know who's packing.