Author: Buckeye Firearms Association

Another formerly skeptical Ohio law enforcement official admits concealed carry has worked

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

by Chad D. Baus

The Port Clinton News Herald is reporting that another law enforcement official has admitted that previous skepticism about Ohio’s concealed carry law was unwarranted.

From the story:

Ottawa County Sheriff Bob Bratton said he had issues about the law when the Ohio legislature passed it in 2004.

“I had concerns at first,” Bratton said, “but since then we’ve had no issues.”

According to Bratton, the state’s sheriffs, who are responsible for issuing permits, were ill-prepared for the onslaught of paperwork the new law required them to complete.

In 2004, Ottawa County issued 391 permits. Sandusky County issued 187.

But seven years later, Bratton said the process has gone well and he supports the law.

“I’ve always been big on the Second Amendment,” he is quoted as saying. “I think you should have the right to have guns.”

Polls: Ohio governor’s race a “toss-up”; Race for U.S. Senate looks to be a blow-out

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by Chad D. Baus

After showing as much as a eight point spread in August (and with some polls having burdened Governor Ted Strickland with a double-digit deficit as recently as a few weeks ago), Rasmussen Reports now shows John Kasich’s lead over Strickland down to just three points (48% – 45%), and within the margin of error.

The tightening of this race has also been reflected in other recent polls, with both Fox News and The New York Times showing the race to be at one or two points, also well within the margin of error.

According to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Ohio, three percent like some other candidate in the race, and four percent are still undecided.

The narrowing of the race for governor has prompted Rasmussen to to re-categorize the race from “Leans GOP” to a “Toss-Up” on the Rasmussen Reports Election 2010 Gubernatorial Scorecard.

BFA / NRA endorsee Rob Portman submits to interview with USSA/ Outdoor Writers of Ohio

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Editor’s Note: Buckeye Firearms Association was the only Ohio gun group to have an outdoor writer (Region Leader Larry S. Moore) at the recent U.S. Sportsmen Alliance/Outdoor Writer of Ohio interviews with Rob Portman, former Congressman and current candidate for U.S. Senate. Also represented at the interviews were Ohio Outdoor News, Ohio Valley Outdoors, Akron Beacon Journal, Columbus Dispatch, Dayton Daily News, The Buckeye Sportsmen Radio Show and the Greene County Dailies. Below is a list of the firearms law and Ohio outdoors-related questions both candidates were asked and their responses.

by Larry S. Moore

Rob Portman put his views regarding gun ownership, hunting, conservation, alternative energy and invasive species on the line at the recent U.S. Sportsmen Alliance (USSA) Ohio Rally in an interview with the Outdoor Writers of Ohio.

Portman was clearly relaxed and enjoyed being at the USSA rally. He walked the floor of the event. In addition to the interview, Portman addressed the nearly 850 people attending the event before dinner. He led the Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation.

Portman’s challenger for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator George Voinovich is current Lt. Governor Lee Fisher. Fisher did not respond to the invitation for the interview. I think most regular readers at BuckeyeFirearms.org understand the strong anti-gun positions that Fisher has long held. I was hoping for the opportunity to ask him to clarify his recent statements that he supports the Second Amendment.

I’d like to know which part he supports or doesn’t support. Perhaps the thought of having to define his Second Amendment position was enough to make him ignore the invitation.

THE SECOND AMENDMENT:

The United Nations has been working toward a small arms treaty. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the Obama Administration have signaled support for such a treaty. What is your position?

Ohio Supremes consider Cleveland’s challenge of statewide preemption of local gun control laws

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by Chad D. Baus

The Ohio Supreme Court heard arguments from the City of Cleveland in defense of the city’s assault-weapons ban and registration requirement for handguns on Tuesday, as well as reasons why the State Attorney General’s office says the anti-gun laws should be struck down.

From The Columbus Dispatch:

Cleveland officials said their local regulations would not violate a 2007 state law that attempted to establish a uniform set of rules governing gun ownership in Ohio.

“Really what this law is trying to do is take Cleveland out of the business of regulating for the safety and welfare of its own citizens,” Gary Singletary, Cleveland’s assistant law director, told the justices.

Lawyers for the state, however, said the court couldn’t uphold Cleveland’s rules without running afoul of its own 4-3 decision in 2008 that struck down the northwestern Ohio town of Clyde’s ban on guns in public parks. In that ruling, justices said lawmakers clearly intended for one statewide standard on firearms rather than a patchwork of local regulations.

Senators to Secretary Clinton: Backdoor Gun Ban Violates Americans’ Constitutional Right

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Cornyn Leads Bipartisan Letter to Sec. Clinton on the Sale of Antique Rifles

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today led a bipartisan group of Senators including Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK), and others in sending a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, urging her to reverse the State Department’s reported decision to ban the sale of surplus antique rifles from South Korea to qualified buyers in the United States. The letter was also sent to Attorney General Eric Holder and Acting Director Kenneth Melson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE).

Recent media reports indicate the Obama Administration inked a deal with the South Korean government to bring home nearly one million American-made WWII-era surplus military rifles. However, the State Department stepped in at the last minute and arbitrarily blocked the agreement. The rifles in question are the iconic M1 Garand and M1 Carbine rifles, which are popular among collectors and military historians. The letter to Secretary Clinton stresses that the sale poses no risk to Americans and the department’s decision violates law-abiding citizens’ constitutional right to purchase firearms for legitimate purposes. The full text of the letter is below:

State Supreme Court to hear preemption case this week!

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

The Ohio Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for an important gun rights case, City of Cleveland v. State of Ohio, tomorrow, October 12, 2010.

The case came about after the Ohio General Assembly voted to override Governor Bob Taft’s veto of HB347 – Ohio’s “preemption” law – which codified R.C. 9.68, ensuring that firearms laws would be uniform throughout the state.

The City of Cleveland immediately sued the State of Ohio, and the Supreme Court is now going to be forced to issue a ruling that will decide once and for all whether R.C. 9.68 is valid. If it is valid, than other than ordinances banning the discharge of firearms inside city limits and zoning laws, Ohio cities are, once and for all, out of the gun control business.

Grassroots Activism: The Power of One

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by Jeff Knox

What can I do? I’m just one person. I don’t know anything about campaigning and I don’t have much money. How can I impact an election in which thousands – or millions are going to be voting?

I hear that a lot and the simple answer is: Pick your candidate and then do your very best to make sure that everyone you know, and everyone you meet, knows why you have picked that candidate. To further illustrate exactly how much influence one person can have I’d like to present a real-life, fictional story.

I have a good friend by the name of Jim Tomes who is running for a seat in the Indiana State Senate. Jim is a modest, common sense, working class guy who works hard for the things he believes in and who gets things done. He is in a very tough campaign against a woman who is better known, better connected, better educated, and much better funded. Jim’s greatest asset in the campaign, besides his devoted wife and work-mate Margie, is his wide network of friends who are actively supporting him.

That is the real-life part of the story. For the fictional part I am going to create a character – a Jim Tomes supporter – and tell about some of the things he did to swing the election to Jim.

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