January 5, 2004
Cincinnati Enquirer

OXFORD - The "Motor City Madman" is set to hit Miami University - to lecture on politics.

Ted Nugent, a '70s-80s rock star known for his hit song "Cat Scratch Fever," will talk about his political views for this year's Conservative Week, sponsored by Miami's College Republicans.

His speech, set for Feb. 19, will be free and open to the public, though a time and location have not been set.

According to Matt Nolan, a junior political science and history major and president of College Republicans choosing Nugent was perfect for the largely apolitical student body.

"When you hear people talking about politics, they just don't care," the 21-year-old from Salem, Wisc., said. "Part of the reason we wanted to bring him is because some people don't like him. We want to counter the liberalism that dominates college campuses."

Nugent, 55, campaigns for expanded rights for hunters and gun owners. A member of the National Rifle Association and a Michigan county sheriff's deputy, Nugent hosts a radio show in Detroit and publishes Ted Nugent Adventure Outdoors magazine.

January 05, 2004
LEE LEONARD
Columbus Dispatch

Ah, the time-honored debate over what should be public record and what should be private. We’re in the middle of it.

The latest tiff concerns whether the identity of concealed-carry handgun permit-holders should be public record.

Gun-rights advocates say no, because the element of surprise would be lost. Concealed carriers need to be anonymous. Otherwise, criminals could check on who has a permit and attack only people without them.

This scenario assumes that the criminal knows his or her intended victim. If so, he or she probably knows whether the individual carries a handgun, anyway.

The gun-rights advocates also speculate that criminals would consult the lists to see who has guns, then break into homes and steal the guns. Of course, permit-holders could have their guns with them, not at home.

Gov. Bob Taft wants every county sheriff to release the complete list of permit-holders; the bill sent to him would release the names, one at a time, to certified journalists when such information is in the public interest. For example, when a crime has been committed, is suspect John Doe a permit-holder? The public is entitled to know.

Taft also maintains that the list should be made public so independent studies can be conducted to find out whether ineligible individuals are getting permits.

Also, it would be useful to know what percentage of permit-holders commit firearms-related crimes.

But Jim Irvine of Ohioans for Concealed Carry says this is unnecessary; that the proposed law requires the Ohio Peace Officer Training Council to file an annual report with statistics on the number of applicants, the number of permits granted, the reasons for denial and the number of infractions by permit-holders.

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

January 03, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

No one challenges liberal Republican justice

Justice Paul E. Pfeifer, a renegade Republican rebuffed by some in his own party but beloved by Democrats, will get a free ride, running unopposed for a third term on the Ohio Supreme Court.

No Democrat filed to challenge Pfeifer by the campaign petition deadline yesterday, giving him an uncontested reelection.

"I don’t want to be giddy about this, but I’m obviously very pleased," Pfeifer said. "It’s a pleasure to be able to just focus on your job."

The former state legislator from Bucyrus often has sided with Democratic justices in narrow decisions.

Dan Trevas, spokesman for the Ohio Democratic Party, said Pfeifer "has voted in a fashion that is Democratic."

Trevas said Pfeifer’s campaign support likely would have come from some of the Democrats’ faithful contributors. "Having a candidate against (Pfeifer) would hurt the overall pool of resources," he said.

A municipal court judge from Cleveland, meanwhile, is challenging Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer, 64, a Republican from Bexley. Democrat C. Ellen Connally, 58, is vying to become the first black woman on the Ohio Supreme Court. She also is the first black woman to run for chief justice. Moyer is seeking a fourth six-year term.

There could be a Democratic primary March 2 for the open seat created by the mandatory retirement of Justice Francis E. Sweeney, a Democrat.

Ohio's gun ban extremists have not let up in their efforts to derail concealed carry reform legislation.

The Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence is again calling on other extremists to phone Gov. Taft and beg him to veto HB12. An email from late December, said:

"Governor Taft needs to hear from us again.
Please tell him you don’t want guns carried where you work and play.
Please ask him to honor his promise to veto.
Please thank him for standing up to the gun lobby.
Please thank him for putting our safety first by vetoing HB 12."

As we've been saying for weeks, there is still work to be done to prepare the way for final passage of this legislation.

Governor Taft's phone number is 614-466-3555.

Ohioans For Concealed Carry, the National Rifle Association and the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms are calling on the Governor to sign this Act.

Following is a letter to the editor from OCAGV's executive director Toby Hoover, printed in Saturday's Columbus Dispatch.

On May 14, 2003, Toby Hoover told the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice "I don't want to help you write the bill". Apparently, she has changed her mind. As we all know, for the gun ban lobby, consistency is optional.