OFCC warned supporters about the next battleground in the concealed carry fight just hours after HB12 was signed into law. In Gun ban extremists' expected ''Business Blitz'' begins, we noted that Ohio's liberal media outlets were all-too willing to help "share the gospel" of business bans.

When Ohio-based Frisch's Inc. ordered its Ohio stores to hang signs, concerned customers began contacting the company, inquiring as to why it would post them in Ohio, when it hasn't posted them in Kentucky or Indiana. Frisch's responded by saying they would post signs in those states as well. This ill-conceived plan succeeded only in angering customers in three states, instead of one.

Ohioans For Concealed Carry can now report that Frisch's management, upon the requests of customers, has decided to take another look at the issue. While Frisch's has not yet made a formal statement about the reversal, the signs ARE coming down at all Big Boy, Frisch's and Golden Corral restaurants! Please make plans to return to your favorite Frisch's/ Big Boy/ Golden Corral when you confirm the signs are down, and bring family or friends to thank them for their decision.

There are other Ohio-based corporations that have posted discriminatory signs. Toledo's Comfort Line Inc., maker of fiberglass windows and doors, has posted signs ordering CHL-holders to shop elsewhere. Comfort Line's products are made with (Toledo-based) Owens-Corning fiberglass, and that bankrupt company has also announced a ban at its corporate facilities.

Two Ohio-based insurance companies have posted signs discriminating against CHL-holders. Columbus-based Nationwide is definitely NOT on your side if you are a CHL-holder, and is enforcing a ban at their corporate offices. Progressive Auto Insurance, of suburban Cleveland, has also announced that it will post signs banning CHL-holders. The founder of Progressive, Peter B. Lewis, is well-known for advocating stronger gun control laws, but weaker drug laws. According to the Associated Press, Lewis was arrested for marijuana possession in January of 2000 in New Zealand.

When we heard about the ban at Ohio-based MTD Products (the company builds Yard Man, Yard Machines, Cub Cadet lawn and garden equipment, along with several other brands), we couldn't help but remember the essay we published here last summer - highlighting the fact that many more people are injured each year by lawnmower accidents than from firearms, both accidental AND intentional.

Akron's Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. is floating its own limp blimp - issuing a directive that will order all visitors and employees to Goodyear facilities to do an about-face if they are CHL-holders.

Bob Cordell, the owner of seven Tuffy Auto Service Centers in greater Cincinnati, has recently decided to post signs at his stores, over the objection of some of his store managers. Cordell can be reached by calling Tuffy Service Center at 513-683-5060.

Two rather large grocery chains in Ohio have posted signs, along with a few smaller ones. ACME Fresh Market (& Pharmacy) in NE Ohio says "we believe that carrying weapons into our stores - even for individual licensed by the State - would create an unsafe environment." Missouri-based Save-A-Lot wants you to "compromise-a-lot" (namely, your safety and human right to self-protection) before shopping there. Many groceries may be under the mistaken impression that their Class D liquor license requires them to ban. The law (H.B.12) clearly states that one cannot carry a concealed firearm into an establishment that serves liquor for consumption on the premises AND has a class D license. There are the TWO prerequisites that would enforce an automatic ban. Being a state liquor outlet alone does no qualify under this law. Whatever these grociers' reasons are, there is no cause for fear: Walmart Superstores and Walmart Neighborhood Markets will NOT be discriminating against CHL-holders. Neither will Walgreen's Pharmacies or Discount Drugmart (this NE OH-based chain took down their signs a few weeks ago in response to customer complaints).

While the issue of business bans has been covered extensively by the Ohio media, one major issue that has NOT been covered is why multi-state businesses are posting signs in Ohio, but do not have them posted in our neighboring CCW states.

For an in-depth look at some of these Business Ban Hypocrites, click on the "Read More..." link below.

April 19, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

by Lee Leonard

As the ceremonial first pitches were thrown out to start the baseball season, so the first lawsuits were thrown into the courts to start the concealed-carry season in Ohio.

Opponents of the new law cited several reasons for stopping sheriffs from issuing permits to carry concealed handguns and asked the Ohio Supreme Court to declare the law invalid.

One Franklin County resident took Sheriff Jim Karnes to court, saying she was denied a temporary emergency permit and denied the right to apply for a regular concealed-carry permit.

Ohioans for Concealed Carry*, based in suburban Cleveland, asked the court to force Cuyahoga County Sheriff Gerald McFaul to start taking applications, even though the sheriff’s office is uprooted by construction. He is still obligated to start the concealed-carry process, the group said.

Despite the lawsuits and a rush of applicants, most law-enforcement officers and observers thought the process began smoothly. Many people might be holding off for a couple of weeks to avoid the rush.

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

Some sheriffs tried to eliminate long lines by having applicants make appointments. This initially annoyed some of the gun groups, but they quickly realized an orderly process is more efficient.

April 19, 2004
Fox Toledo

Bruce Beatty has been shooting guns since he was a little kid. Not a big surprise he is also in favor of the new concealed carry law. Now he's taking shots at the city's new plan with some strong bullet points. "We're seeing a three to five percent drop in violent crime, all fields of violent crime per year in states with this law,"Beatty said. "If they'd spend ten percent of the effort going after the crooks as they do going after the law-abiding people crime would take a real nose-dive in Toledo."

Bruce Beatty says he's tired of local government targeting the good guy with their new amendments to the concealed carry law. A law which he beilieves they can't touch. "They're violating the law, they're violating the constitution, they are violating a state supreme court order and they're violation their oaths of office," Beatty said. John Madigan, a lawyer for the city of Toledo, thinks otherwise.

He declined to comment on Mr. Beatty's argument, but sent an email referencing Article 18 Section 3 of the Ohio Constitution. "The Ohio Constitution permits cities to control activity on their own property," Madigan said. "This is a matter of local concern within the Home Rule authority of the City of Toledo" Beatty's argument to that is that Section 3 goes on to say, "municipalities shall have authority to exercise all powers of local self-government and to adopt and enforce within their limits such local police, sanitary and other similar regulations, as are not in conflict with general laws." Beatty stressed the last part of that section.

But Beatty doesn't think the issue is over. He think it'll end up in court with two possible outcomes. One: the public grins and bears it. "Or someone's gonna say the heck with it. I've read the constitution I've read the law, I'm totally in my legal right carrying a fire arm openly or concealed in toledo and they're risking felony prosecution," Beatty said.

Related Stories:
City of Fremont: Not us. Let Toledo get sued over Section 9!

SIMPLE: Letter-writer understands; some Mayors stumped

Section 9 update: OFCC successful in deterring several city ordinances