Report: Thousands of felons on the lam – Many Ohio criminals aren’t pursued; issues include lean budgets, jail space

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

by Chad D. Baus

The Dayton Daily News reported recently that there are tens of thousands of wanted Ohio felons on the loose, and that not many of them are being actively sought.

From the article:

After six years on the loose, James Scott Jr. was arrested during a random traffic stop – the way many of those wanted on felony warrants are picked up, if they are apprehended at all.

“There’s just too many,” said Pat Sedoti, U.S. Marshal in charge of three Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Teams. “You have to pick the ones you want to go after.”

No one knows exactly how many wanted felons are on the loose, and no one is actively pursuing many of them.

Last week, authorities said more than 1 million warrants were listed in the National Crime Information Center database. There are 35,181 in Ohio’s counterpart, the Law Enforcement Automated Data System. The most serious of Ohio’s warrants are to be included in the federal database but it’s unclear exactly how many are in both systems.

According to the article, the newspaper spent the past two months gathering data and talked with experts and authorities at the local, state and national level about the issues and problems that keep them from bringing more fugitives to justice.

Again, from the article:

At USSA event in Columbus, Paul Ryan tells hunters thought of second Obama term makes him ‘shudder’

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

by Chad D. Baus

Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan was the keynote speaker at the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance 16th Annual “Save Our Heritage” Rally in Columbus on Saturday, and made national news when he told attendees that he “shudder(s)” to think what President Obama would do “if he never has to face the voters ever again.”

From ABC News:

“You see the federal government already infringing upon the First Amendment right to religious liberty,” Ryan said, referring to the federal mandate that all employers include insurance coverage for birth control.

“I see the president put these kind of regulations out there in a tough election year that could cost him votes, I wonder, I shudder as a gun owner, seeing his record when he was in the Illinois State Senate, what would he do if he never has to face the voters ever again?” Ryan said. “These are the kinds of questions we think about.

“The next president will appoint a lot of different judges and these are lifetime appointments,” he said. “If you want to make sure that judges respect our Second Amendment rights, you need a president who respects those rights as well.”

According to the article, Ryan stressed that his ticket would “respect the Second Amendment.”

Again, from the article:

Media: “Akron would-be robbers take off when victim, CCW permit holder, pulls gun on them”

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

The Akron Beacon-Journal and WEWS (ABC Cleveland) are reporting that two would-be robbers reversed course when their intended victim pulled out his own gun.

From the Beacon-Journal:

The man, 23, told police he had just parked his car in a lot in the 800 block of West Market Street about 11:30 p.m. Saturday when two men in a nearby car donned masks and approached him.

One of the would-be robbers opened the passenger-side door and pointed a gun at the man, police said. The victim, who has a concealed-carry permit, pulled out his own pistol, and both would-be robbers ran back to their car and drove away, police said.

Police said they are following up on leads to identify the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call 330-375-2490.

A complete list of known incidents involving Ohio CHL-holders defending themselves is available here.

Headline: “Guns in bars | One year later: ‘Carry’ fear silenced”; Gun banners’ internal efforts to defeat bill exposed

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

by Chad D. Baus

We told them so.

One year ago a Buckeye Firearms Association-backed modification to Ohio’s concealed carry law took effect, making it legal for concealed carry licensees to enter establishments that serve alcohol so long as they did not drink, and this week, The Columbus Dispatch has published an article we could have written one year ago:

A year after the sound and fury over a state law allowing concealed guns in bars and restaurants, there has been silence.

Almost no incidents have been reported involving concealed-carry permit holders, and there has been no spike in violence as predicted by some opponents concerned about the volatile mix of alcohol and guns.

The impact is difficult to assess, however, because law-enforcement and state agencies do not formally track violations involving guns in bars.

But those on both sides of the issue agree all is calm, so far.

“There was a lot of hubbub about it on both sides, … then almost immediately it just got quiet,” said Scott Heimlich, owner of Barcelona Restaurant in Columbus and president of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association. “In restaurants, we have not had any incidents.”

Despite his admission, Heimlich says he still has his signs posted asking law-abiding customers to stay away.

“As a society, we don’t have a big issue with needing to protect yourself every waking minute,” Heimlich is quoted as saying. “We spent a lot of time and money when we could have been doing something more productive.”

When the law first took effect, Heimlich was among those claiming there would be problems.

“Alcohol and guns do not mix in any type of setting,” Heimlich told the Dispatch last year. “By inviting them into a restaurant, you’re opening yourself up to issues.”

Jim Irvine, chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association, says the lack of incidents in the past 12 months is vindication to him that “they’re wrong, and we’re right, again.”

Ohio Democrats introduce bill to effectively kill concealed carry in Ohio

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

Editor’s Note – the author misread the bill language pertaining to tenants of rental/ lease properties. Corrections added in bold. We regret the error.

by Chad D. Baus

Two Ohio Democrat State Representatives, Bill Patmon and Ted Celeste, are co-sponsoring a bill “to generally prohibit a person from having a firearm on privately owned land or premises unless the person owns, controls, or resides on or in the land or premises, has permission of the owner or person who controls the land or premises and, if the land or premises is rental property, of the tenant when required, or is the tenant with respect to those premises.” The bill specifies that it “applies to any person, including a concealed handgun licensee.”

HB595 would essentially reverse current law, which allows concealed carry on private property unless a sign is posted requesting that law-abiding CHL-holders stay out, and replace it with a requirement that CHLs would need to obtain permission to carry almost anywhere they go. That permission could come in the form of a sign specifically granting permission to CHL-holders, or by the CHL-holder obtaining permission either orally or in writing. The bill would even require non-tenants on rented or leased property to obtain permission to bring a firearm on the property. Short of obtaining that permission, the gun owner or concealed handgun licensee would not be allowed to go on the property, visit a place of business, or even to keep a gun in their friend’s apartment or place of business (if they lease).

Recently discovered report forces the question: Do I owe Mitt Romney an apology?

Posted on by Buckeye Firearms Association

by Chad D. Baus

I have not been easy on Mitt Romney in the years since he began seeking the presidency.

During the 2008 Republican primary, I viewed Romney much as I did John McCain – a flip-flopper who just couldn’t be trusted. In fact, in an op-ed entitled “Will you be Mitt Romney’s cheap date?”, published at BuckeyeFirearms.org and picked up by World Net Daily (www.wnd.com), I likened Romney to a bar-hopping boyfriend treating pro-gun voters “like some airheaded college girlfriend,” …”expect[ing] that we’ll watch as [he] repeatedly grope[s] and fondle[s] waitresses while we’re out on a date together, but forgive [him] as soon as [he] say[s] ‘I love you baby. Now go get me another beer.'”

Tough? Yes. But it’s not as though I made that assessment in a vacuum.

Also in 2008, pro-gun writer Dave Kopel rated Romney as “poor.” John Lott wrote that Romney “supports renewing the so-called “assault-weapons ban.”

And of course I had the words of Romney himself. When explaining his support for the Clinton Gun Ban in 1994, Romney was quoted by The Boston Herald as saying “that’s not going to make me the hero of the NRA. I don’t line up with a lot of special interest groups.”

And yet, here I am today, pondering the question – “Do I owe Mitt Romney an apology?”

Here is why:

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