A MAJOR STEP FOR GUN RIGHTS IN ALASKA:

JUNEAU — Alaskans will no longer need a permit to carry a concealed weapon under a bill signed into law Wednesday.

In signing the bill, Gov. Frank Murkowski lauded the work of the Legislature and the National Rifle Association in protecting the Second Amendment rights of Alaskans.

The bill would adopt the so-called “Vermont Carry” law that allows residents to carry a concealed weapon without a special permit. Vermont has no laws against carrying concealed weapons, the governor’s office said.

Actually I know some gun-rights folks who don’t like “Vermont carry.” Their theory is that a bunch of people with carry permits are conscious of gun rights, and likely to act to protect their ability to carry, while if everyone is allowed to carry there’s no such constituency.