The House decided Wednesday to keep a new policy on advising domestic violence victims about carrying a gun, rejecting Gov. Mike Easley's request to nullify a law he signed a few days ago.

The law requires court clerks to give victims information on applying for a concealed weapon permits. Advocates for domestic violence victims wanted something akin to a repeal because they think it's a bad idea to encourage domestic violence victims to get weapons.

"The only information we're giving them is about obtaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon," said Beth Froehling, public policy specialist with the Coalition Against Domestic Violence. "It appears the court might be encouraging them to do that. That puts them in more danger."

Victims advocates had hoped Easley would veto the bill. Instead, he signed it and his office worked with House leaders to change it. But a bill that would have repealed the section of the new law pertaining to notifying victims about the weapon permit was defeated, 49-57.

"Since this measure did not pass, we will be working with [court officials] to develop an information sheet that contains all the information pertinent to domestic violence victims," said Sherri Johnson, an Easley spokeswoman.

Even if the House had passed the bill, it is unlikely the Senate would have considered the change this year. Senate leaders said they won't vote on any more policies this year.

Rep. Mark Hilton, the Conover Republican who sponsored the law, objected to a last-minute change after the legislature had already approved the idea overwhelmingly.

"Simple educational information is all we're asking for," Hilton said. "This bill would gut what we're trying to do."

The gun-rights group Grass Roots North Carolina pushed for the law.

The law's opponents said court clerks should have discretion as to which people they tell about concealed weapons. Having a weapon could put the victim in greater danger, they said.

"It may prompt the victim to get a gun," said Rep. Wilma Sherrill, an Asheville Republican who led an overhaul of domestic violence laws last year. "A child may get in the way of that gun."

Froehling said coalition members hadn't talked about what to do if the law stayed in place, but they may consider working with the courts to provide domestic violence victims information on safety plans and local domestic violence programs.

The House also passed a measure limiting the sale of cold and allergy medicines that can be used to make the illegal drug methamphetamine. The Senate has already approved the bill, so it goes to Easley for his signature.

House leaders had preferred a different version of the bill but settled on the Senate version because senators have said they will not vote on any more bills this session.

Under the bill, which the House approved unanimously, most medicines containing pseudoephedrine, an ingredient used to make meth, will be kept behind pharmacy counters. Buyers would be limited to two packages in each purchase, and three packages a month.

States around the country have worked on ways to restrict access to cold medicines used to make meth. Earlier this month, Oregon passed a law requiring prescriptions to buy the medicines.

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