New W.Va. Law Could Let Some Criminals Buy Guns

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 The Charleston Gazette reports there’s no effective mechanism for enforcement.