More than 600 votes have been logged in to OFCC PAC's current poll question, pondering whether or not CCW Reform deserves to be a legislative priority in 2003.

One day last week, the poll got some publicity from an unlikely source: the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence.

On January 15, Toby Hoover forwarded OFCC PAC's announcement (nearly word for word), concerning the pending introduction of Senator Wachtmann's CCW reform bill, to her anti-gun extremists. Hoover instructed them to call and inform Senators that the majority of Ohioans don't support concealed carry reform.

That same day, the poll logged 22 votes AGAINST prioritizing CCW reform in 2003. Prior to that day, only two "NO" votes had been recorded, and since that day, zero have been recorded.

We'd like to offer a hearty "welcome" to the OCAGV observers that voted in the poll, and we invite them to spend a bit more time on this website. Perhaps after some additional reading, they'll go back and throw a vote the other way!

We're still taking votes on the right side of the homepage, or click here to access the poll.

Youngstown Police have been diligently working to solve a rash of burglaries in the Brownlee Woods and Buckeye Circle areas of the city, police officials assured members of a local block watch.

City Councilman John Nittoli, D-7th, block watch president, said there had been six or seven home burglaries in the area since Christmas. He urged residents to be alert and call police when they see suspicious people or activity in the neighborhood.

Block watch members said an active block watch is an important defense against future burglaries. "Having neighbors looking out for each other is the best defense," said Allison Mallow, who also advocates dog ownership and home security alarm systems.

Meanwhile, in a state that allows its law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense, a shockingly different plan of theft deterrence is suggested by a nationally recognized police chief:

Click on the "Read More..." link below for the full story.

Dr. Major K. Lee III, 61, said he was closing his office at 6000 Sycamore Woods Blvd. when three men approached him. After a scuffle, one assailant forced him at gunpoint into his two-seater car while another followed in a second car. The third assailant remained at Lee’s office.

Lee persuaded the assailants to take him to an automatic teller machine after they threatened to kill him, Trotwood police said.

Meanwhile, in a state that allows its law-abiding citizens to carry a handgun for self-defense, a much less unpleasant outcome resulted when this business owner was interrupted when closing his store:

Click on the "Read More..." link below for the full story.

As of this morning, former Ohio Solicitor Jeffrey S. Sutton and Ohio Supreme Court Justice Deborah L. Cook have waited precisely 630 days.

Nearly two years since President Bush nominated them to the federal appeals bench, Sutton and Cook finally will have the opportunity today to answer their critics in a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Sutton and Cook are just part of a struggle between Bush and the Senate Democrats for control of the judiciary. When Democrats controlled the Senate for much of the past two years, they approved just 17 of Bush's 32 nominees to the appeals bench.

Cook is widely regarded as the most conservative Ohio justice. Since she joined the high court in 1995, she has written more than 300 dissents, more than any other justice. She dissented last December when the justices for the fourth time struck down the state's school-financing system as unconstitutional.

Click here to read the entire story in the Columbus Dispatch (subscription site - paid access only). An archived version of the story is available by clicking the "Read More..." link below.

In a story covering the introduction of the House's new concealed carry reform bill, HB12, the Cincinnati Enquirer mentions a fresh quote from Senate President's spokeperson which may raise questions about this body's willingness to act on this bill, which would recognize our Constitutional right to self-defense.

"Maggie Mitchell, spokeswoman for majority Senate Republicans, said the bill is not a priority in the Senate because lawmakers will be focused on the budget.

'When (Senate President Doug) White, the speaker and the governor unveiled their top priorities for the session, all the leaders agreed conceal-carry wasn't on top of the agenda. They were laser-focused on the budget crisis,' she said."

Let's hope newly-appointed Senate President White doesn't go the way of his predecessor, Dick Finan, by succuming to political pressures from Gov. Taft. And let's hope he doesn't take the lead from a recent Cincinnati Post editorial, by putting money ahead of safety.

Click here to read the entire story in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

A vitriolic disagreement between the Ohio Democratic Party and Supreme Court Justice Maureen O'Connor has ended with a whimper.

Party Chairman Denny White agreed Monday to withdraw an elections-law complaint claiming that O'Connor, former lieutenant governor, misrepresented herself as a judge in a TV commercial while campaigning for the court seat she won Nov. 5.

"It was a pure economic decision," said White, saying the party already has spent $20,000 on the case. "It's not a place where I think it's wise for us to spend our precious resources right now as Democrats.

OFCC PAC Commentary:
To understand why the decision to stop pursuing the action wasn't "purely economic," it must be remembered that the decision to start the action was purely political.

As OFCC PAC reported frequently during the campaign season, the Democrat candidate for Supreme Court had been hit with multiple complaints to the Ohio Elections Commission and by the Ohio State Bar Association, and this complaint was nothing more than a "they're doing it too" PR stunt. The stunt failed, and thus the action has ended.

Click here to read the entire story in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

A Golf Manor man was shot and killed Friday morning after he and another man apparently tried to break into a Walnut Hills townhouse, Cincinnati police said.

Michael Harris, 22, was pronounced dead at the scene.

"The shooting may have been the result of an attempted home invasion robbery where the occupant ... was defending himself," Cincinnati Police Lt. Kurt Byrd said. No charges have been filed.

Mr. Harris was found inside the townhome, Lt. Byrd said. He was armed with a weapon , which was recovered. Police would not say what kind of weapon it was.

The occupant of the residence was identified as Corey Simley, 29.

"He was defending himself," Lt. Byrd said. "He gave an indication that they apparently forced their way into his residence as he was leaving."

Click here to read the entire story from the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Rep. Jim Aslanides, a Republican from Coshocton, introduced HB12 on Tuesday, along with 55 bipartisan co-sponsors, that would allow citizens to carry concealed weapons.

"It's substantially similar to what the House passed in March," said Aslanides. "The changes are minor and were meant to make the bill a little bit better."

House Speaker Larry Householder said Tuesday that he expected the House to pass the measure without having to change it substantially. He noted that the House spent much of the past two years marking up the bill and held more than a dozen hearings on it.

"We'll get it out and get it in the Senate and we'll see how long they sit on it," Householder said. "It's just time to smack that on its way."

OFCC PAC Commentary:
While we have not yet had time to review the language contained in this bill, we applaud the House's efforts to keep the issue of legal self-defense via concealed carry reform on the forefront.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for links to view the full bill, and for the archived Associated Press story.