The Dayton Daily News is reporting that State Rep. John White, R-Kettering, and Sen. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, are on Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell's "short list" of possible lieutenant governor running mates in next year's governor's race.

Buckeye Firearms Association can report that both of the named front-runners have a strong history of supporting gun rights for individuals.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for complete details.

After weeks of blaming America for the increasingly public failure of gun control in their country, the Canadian Press is reporting that even as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice offered assurances that the United States is cooperating to try to stop the smuggling of guns into that country, Canadian officials are being told to look to their own policies rather than focus blame on America.

John Thompson, a security analyst with the Toronto-based Mackenzie Institute,
agreed that Americans are doing a lot to combat gun-running. But he said Canada
has a gang problem, not a gun problem, and needed to stop pointing the finger at
Americans.

Thompson said it's politically expedient for politicians to blame "those
crazy, wacky Americans with their mad gun culture.''

"It's playing to a Canadian prejudice and it's playing to their standard
political supporters,'' he said.

By blaming the Americans, he added, politicians "don't have to talk about
street gangs.''

As we have reported previously, in the wake of rampant gun violence in the land of gun control, Canadian politicians have pointed to the United States as a major contributor to gun violence.

Thompson said gun-running is an adjunct to the drug business.

"If you're already moving narcotics around, bulk shipments of marijuana or
cocaine or what have you, you're already moving an expensive, illegal property,
so it's not that hard to move guns around too.

"Where you have drugs, you have guns too.''

It is clear from this article that American and Canadian governments should cease all attempts to control law-abiding citizens who are practicing their human right to self-defense and instead focus on the criminals who do not care about gun control, drug control, or any other types of laws.

Related Story:
Number of smuggled guns cited by [Canadian officials] is unsubstantiated, U.S. ambassador says

Buckeye Firearms Association is pleased to pass on word of a Central Ohio Meet & Greet to be held in Pickerington, OH on Sunday, November 6.

Event organizer Linda Walker originally announced the event to fellow Buckeye Firearms Association volunteers in the Columbus-area, and also on several Internet discussion forums. Walker also asked Gerard Valentino, Buckeye Firearms Association Central Ohio Chair, for assistance in inviting elected officials and/or candidates who plan to be in attendance.

"This started off as a way for a few like-minded people in the Columbus-area to get together and share all they have in common, and to talk about what they could do to further the cause of getting HB347 passed, a subject that we are all so passionate about," said Walker. "I am overwhelmed by the interest, and am excited to help bring together several grassroots volunteers from many different groups with some of the legislators who are consistently some of our most hard-working advocates in the Statehouse."

Linda has received a confirmation from Rep. Jim Aslanides (R-94), who is the primary sponsor of House Bill 347. Bill Peirce, a Libertarian candidate for governor, and several other local and state officials and/ or candidates have indicated their interest as well.

"Two days before an election is a great time for Second Amendment supporters to get one last time to chat with candidates", said Valentino. "I am pleased that several officials and candidates have accepted invitations to attend Linda's event."

Click on the "Read More..." link below for complete details on how you can attend Linda's event.

On October 15th, Congresswoman Jean Schmidt of Ohio's Second District attended and successfully completed a Concealed Handgun License training
class held in the Clermont County town of Miamiville, near Cincinnati.

Instructor Collin Rink, co-owner of FRST training (www.frst.org), and
Buckeye Firearms Association volunteer said, "I was very impressed with Congresswoman Schmidt. She has been a Concealed Carry supporter for years as an Ohio State Representative, and it is refreshing to see her both support concealed carry with her vote, and with her actions in getting a license."

Rink also noted that Congresswoman Schmidt scored in the top three in the class on the written portion of the test, and had one of the most
fundamentally sound defensive shooting stances in the class.

Congresswoman Schmidt, who voted for the concealed carry reform legislation that is now law in Ohio, told Rink that she hopes the 126th General Assembly will "amend the law to clear ambiguities and inconsistences."

"Most importantly," she added, "a woman's ability to carry a gun in the car must be addressed."

Also attending the class was Hamilton County
Municipal Court Judge Alex Triantafilou, a 2005 Buckeye Firearms Association endorsee, and Jake Fashner, campaign strategist for Ohio Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate Ken Blackwell.

Rink noted that Secretary Blackwell was scheduled to attend, but was called away on official business. Blackwell plans on attending a future class.

As an Ohio legislator, Schmidt earned two endorsements from Buckeye Firearms Association. In an August 2005 special election Jean Schmidt defeated Paul Hackett in an election to fill a U.S. congressional seat vacated by former-Rep. Rob Portman, who became President Bush's trade representative. She will campaign to earn her first full-term in the 2006 Congressional elections.

Because of her strong support of gun owners while a member of Ohio's House of Representatives, and her continued support while a Member of Congress, Buckeye Firearms Association is pleased to take this occasion to announce our first endorsement of a Federal candidate is for Rep. Jean Schmidt for United States Congress.

UPDATE: The Cincinnati Enquirer has picked up this story! Click on the "Read More..." link below for complete details.

"The NRA is going to work with the people of Columbus and the Ohio Legislature to pass state preemption legislation and restore freedom to the people of Columbus. When the Ohio legislature enacts preemption, freedom will be restored to the people of Columbus. And when freedom comes back to Columbus, we will come back to Columbus." - Wayne LaPierre, NRA Executive Vice President

Newspapers throughout the state are reporting on arguments made before the Ohio Supreme Court this week regarding a Cincinnati man's challenge to municipal gun control laws.

While at first this case may appear to bear resemblance to preemption arguments being made in suits against the City of Clyde, the City of Toledo and also as contemplated in House Bill 347, an attorney familiar with the cases tells Buckeye Firearms Association that City of Cincinnati v. Colt Lee Baskin is anything BUT similar to these other arguments...

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

Two-time Buckeye Firearms Association endorsee and State Representative Mary Taylor recently announced her candidacy for Auditor of State, and is hosting a Clay Shoot at the Hill ‘n Dale Club (billed as one of the best sporting clay courses in the Midwest) in Medina on Thursday, November 3.

Details can be found by clicking on the "Read More..." link below for more.

For a year and a half, Shooters Supply Shop in the Cincinnati-area suburb of Loveland has been working towards opening a state-of-the-art indoor shooting range. Despite the support of the Loveland Police Officers Association, the Loveland City Planning Commission, Loveland City Council, the Loveland Area Chamber of Commerce and a great majority at the ballot box, the anti-gunners are trying to block this fine business again.

Yes, you read that right. In February, an anti-gun
clique of residents placed on the ballot an initiative that would have blocked the range from opening. Voters overwhelmingly approved the range with more than sixty percent of the vote. Now, the anti-gunners are at it again, putting another issue on the ballot that would use zoning code to "zone" the range out of existence.

Shooters Supply Shop owners Marvin Mann and Dan Lovett have supported the community for
years, aiding the schools with fundraisers and supporting youth athletics. In turn, it is clear that they have the community's support.

Buckeye Firearms Association urges residents in the City of Loveland to vote "YES" for Issue 14. Again, to help fight back against a small fringe of gun ban extremists and help this community get the firing range it has fought for for so long, Loveland residents should vote "YES" on Issue 14.

Click on the "Read More..." link below to read the text of Issue 14.

As we reported last August in a Q&A sent to us by Republican gubernatorial candidate Pete Draganic, Ohio's 2006 gubernatorial race has already been a politics junkie's dream, and promises to offer even greater fixes as the primaries grow closer.

But the gubernatorial race isn't the only GOP primary in which a political outsider is hoping to capitalize on poll after poll showing that Mr. & Mrs. Ohio are tired of the status quo, and really tired of Bob Taft's liberal brand of Republicanism.

Like Pete Draganic, Republican Colin Beach (who recently announced his candidacy for Secretary of State) is hoping Ohioans are so fed up that they'll make a decision to nominate someone who has never before served in public office to the state-wide Republican ticket in November 2006.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for Beach's "Thoughts on Gun Ownership and the Second Amendment".

There are more stories pertaining to our gun rights in Ohio then we can possibly draw attention to with individual daily commentary. But they are worthy of comment.

What follows is our weekly view of headlines from around the state though a pro-gun rights lens.

Click on the "Read More..." link below for seven days of headlines accompanied by short, concise pro-gun analysis.

Buckeye Firearms Association is pleased to announce that Rep. Jim Aslanides' sweeping firearms law reform bill, House Bill 347, has received a committee assignment:

H.B. No. 347 - Representative Aslanides, et al

To revise the laws regarding licenses to carry a concealed handgun and the authority to carry a concealed handgun under such a license; to limit journalist access to information regarding persons who have such a license and who assert reasonable cause to fear a criminal attack; to provide exemptions from certain carrying of firearms-related offenses for persons in compliance with the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission's firearms requalification program; to specifically provide a self-defense affirmative defense to discharge of a firearm while in or on a vessel or motor vehicle-related offenses; to clarify when a firearm is loaded for purposes of offenses relating to possession of a loaded firearm while in or on a vessel or motor vehicle and carrying concealed weapons; to provide that the sealing or expungement of a conviction or delinquent child record is an affirmative defense to falsification based on the failure to report the record on an application for a concealed handgun license; and to identify, as a general law and matter of statewide concern, the right of any person, except as provided in the Revised Code, to own, possess, purchase, otherwise acquire, transport, carry, sell, or otherwise transfer a firearm, firearm component, or ammunition.

To the committee on Criminal Justice

Click on the "Read More..." link below for a list of the members of the Ohio House Committee on Criminal Justice, their status as co-sponsors of this legislation, their previous record as endorsees of this political action committee, etc...