By ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS
The Associated Press
12/17/2003, 6:39 p.m. ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Gov. Bob Taft said Wednesday he's hopeful a compromise on legislation allowing Ohioans to carry concealed weapons can still be reached, probably early next year.

Taft raised the possibility less than a week after insisting he would veto a bill approved by lawmakers on the last session day of the legislative calendar this year.

Taft, a Republican, said his staff is talking with House Republicans about a deal to support the governor's requirements for making weapons records public.

If the deal is reached, two bills would go to Taft. He would sign both, with the second upholding the public records provision.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for more.

Ohio Public Radio: Senate May Not Have Enough Votes to Override Concealed Weapons Veto
December 17, 2003

That proposal that Ohio legislators passed to legalize concealed weapons is in trouble once again. The president of the state senate is admitting he doesn't have the votes to override a looming veto from Governor Bob Taft. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen has more on this latest development.

Click here to listen to this 4 minute Ohio Public Radio report via Real Audio streaming.

On November 27, Senate President Doug White told Dan Williamson of Columbus' The Other Paper "his most recent survey of senators revealed 'a very, very thin ability to override a veto on the bill.'"

On December 10, in the hours before the final House and Senate vote, White told the Lee Leonard of the Columbus Dispatch he "absolutely does not have enough override votes."

By December 12, White was back to saying he is unsure if the votes are there, indicating that he has not officially polled the Republican Caucus on the matter.

Earlier in the year, Senator Jim Carnes indicated he and certain other Senators would be unwilling to override Taft due to Republican "party solidarity."

Now that the House and Senate are preparing to override Taft on an unrelated bill, they no longer have that excuse.

Of the MR/DD bill, State Sen. Steve Austria, R-Beavercreek, said there are enough votes in the House and Senate to override the veto.

"That's exactly what we intend to do," said Austria, predicting action almost as soon as the legislature returns in January.

"These are individuals who are severely handicapped . . . we're talking about
human lives here," Austria said.

HB12 is about protecting human lives too. And the bottom line is, 25 Senators voted to pass HB12. In order for a veto override to fail, six Senators would have to be unwilling to stick with their votes in an override scenario.

Do the six exist? Who are they if so?