NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (AP) _ New Britain officials have moved a step closer to ending its status as the only Connecticut municipality requiring gun owners to carry weapons openly.

A council committee voted unanimously Wednesday to endorse a measure letting anyone with a permit carry a concealed handgun.

New Britain now forbids gun owners from carrying their weapons under a jacket, in a purse, behind a coat or otherwise concealed.

Council member Willie Pabon proposed ending the restriction after he saw two men carrying handguns in holsters in plain view walk into a store. Pabon said he called police and was surprised to learn that the men were complying with the city ordinance.

The measure returns to the council for a vote that could be scheduled as early as next Wednesday.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)