The State of Indiana has had nearly 70 years of quiet and successful experience with a concealed carry law. Unfortunately for Hoosiers, recent battles over public records in Ohio seem to have given a few Indiana journalists bad ideas:

In a recent news story, the Ft. Wayne News-Sentinel raided the privacy of concealed handgun license-holders, and "outed" a few high-profile people. Most interstingly, the list included the anti-gun editor of a competing paper - the Ft. Wayne Journal- Gazette's Tracy Warner.

The editors at the News-Sentinel were kind enough to ask their readers if they believed the paper should proceed with plans to make the entire list of Allen Co (IN) CHL-holders available online (something editors at the Columbus Dispatch, Cleveland Plain Dealer and Elyria Chronicle haven't had the courtesy to do!).

The results are in, and 95% of News-Sentinel readers told the paper to trash their idea.

What if the violent stalker who was shot by this Indiana woman had known in advance that she was carrying?
''God's grace'' (and concealed firearm) saves Indiana woman's life

These Ohio newspapers could care less about women like this in Ohio, much less about your opinion: Rotten Apples and Sour Grapes

In recent months, Toledoans have endured a rash of violent and even deadly convenience store robberies:

Only law-abiding citizens are waiting for April 8 to carry concealed firearms. As this story and the Ohio Crime Clock shows (top-right column at www.buckeyefirearms.org), criminals are not waiting, nor will they bother with the extensive licensing process once available.

Teen charged in killing also accused of robbery

March 23, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

First she was robbed at gunpoint outside her Gahanna apartment, making the 20-year-old woman cautious about leaving home.

Then she learned yesterday that the teen who will be charged with her robbery is also charged with killing a woman whose body was found less than 4 miles away in the trunk of her burning car.

"It didn’t hit me until afterward," the woman said last night. "Then when I heard they could be linked, it freaked me out."

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

Springfield News-Sun
March 23, 2004

A Springfield woman shot and killed a 21-year-old man early Sunday, reportedly after the victim and a companion broke into her Chestnut Avenue home, police said.

Matthew J. Marino, 21, whose address was not immediately available, was pronounced dead at Mercy Medical Center at 3:45 a.m., Springfield police Lt. Michael Hill said. Officers found Marino lying on the driveway at 346 Chestnut Ave. with a gunshot wound in his abdomen.

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Hill said investigators were interviewing several people Sunday night in connection with the shooting and planned to execute a few search warrants.

"We anticipate charging another person we believe is involved in this," he said.

Springfield police received a call at 2:50 a.m. from Melany Yancey, 49, of the Chestnut Avenue address, Hill said. She told them that while she was home alone, two men wearing bandannas kicked in her front door and came upstairs.

Yancey told police she sealed herself in her bedroom, but the two men tried to break in. She took her .40-caliber handgun and fired a shot in the direction of the door, she said, and someone fired back.

Yancey reportedly said she heard the intruders move into the bedroom of one of her two adult sons, neither of whom were at home. She ran out of the room, attempting to escape, and fired two rounds at the intruders, she said. One of bullets hit Marino.

Yancey told police she ran to a neighbor's house where she dialed 911.

Hill said police had not found the gun reportedly carried by the intruders, but officers did find a shell casing from a weapon other than Yancey's handgun.

Police did not expect to charge Yancey with any crime, Hill said.

UPDATE: The Associated Press has picked this story up - it will likely be published in news outlets across the state. Please forward reports of any potentially illegal bans to info@buckeyefirearms.org.

Officials debate details of keeping guns out of government buildings

March 23, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

Central Ohio counties are scrambling to prepare and post signs reminding conceal-carry permit holders they cannot bring firearms into county-owned buildings.

Beginning April 8, law-abiding Ohioans who pass approved firearms-training courses can apply to county sheriffs for permits to carry hidden handguns.

The law, however, forbids permit holders from carrying handguns in numerous places, including any government building. Private property owners and businesses can choose to ban or permit weapons.

Signs banning guns in county administration buildings and other offices, and possibly parking lots, will begin popping up soon.

Commissioners in Licking, Delaware and Union counties discussed preparations for the new law yesterday.

Franklin County’s policy bars guns in the courthouse.

Licking County Sheriff Gerry Billy predicted the law will be popular.

"We’re preparing for an onslaught," Billy told the Licking County
commissioners. "I do envision there will be hundreds of people who will apply for the conceal-carry permit."