In an interview for the Second Amendment Foundation's Gun Week magazine, Rep Jim Aslanides told senior editor Dave Workman that he hopes to have his sweeping firearms law reform legislation (HB347) out of committee by the end of this year.

From the story:

Aslanides told Gun Week that his intent is to have “a single, common law that everyone in Ohio can live with, so that traveling from city to city doesn’t catch gunowners” in conflict with some local ordinance.

Almost immediately, the Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA) endorsed the legislation, filed as House Bill 347 (HB-347). Aslanides already has 47 co-sponsors out of a 99-member House of Representatives, and he insisted that other lawmakers will support the measure. He hopes to have it out of committee by the year’s end.

The article goes on to offer a summary of some of the bill's other major components, and then continues:

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

by Gerard Valentino and Chad Baus

On October 1, Florida's much-publicized "Stand Your Ground" law went into effect. The law removes a duty on the part of citizens to retreat in the face of an attack as long as they are in a place they have a legal right to be, including a public street or their place of business.

It also gives immunity from criminal or civil charges to a shooter as long as the person shot is not a police officer.

One of the law's chief proponents has sent a letter to the editor in response to the establishment media's predictable thrashing about...

Oct. 07, 2005
Miami Herald

The ''Castle Doctrine'' states that if a criminal breaks into your home or your occupied vehicle, you may presume he is there to do bodily harm and you may use any force, including deadly force, against him.

In addition, the new law that Florida passed removes the ''duty to retreat'' when you are outside your home and in a place you have a legal right to be.

Lawful Floridians only want to be able to defend themselves without fear of their attacker's rights taking precedence over their own.

Gun-control groups' predictions were similarly and unjustly dire 18 years ago when Florida adopted the nation's first ''right-to-carry'' law, allowing lawful residents the right to carry firearms for protection. The anti-gun lobby's scare tactics were wrong then, and they are wrong now.

Florida law is now on the side of law-abiding victims rather than criminals. And that is the way it is supposed to be.

MARION P. HAMMER
National Rifle Association past president
Fairfax, VA

We at Buckeye Firearms Association have watched the passage of Florida's new "Stand Your Ground" law with kean interest. For in the past twenty years, as Florida's pro-gun law goes, so goes the nation. There are already several other state legislatures which have begun debate on passage of similar laws to benefit their citizenry.

We have also watched with shameless claims being recycled by gun ban extremists about this law, including a large advertising purchase by the Brady bunch that tries to warn would-be Florida tourists not to get into fights with natives during their visit.

We thought we'd have our own fun with the vacationer advisory, and we hope you'll share it with your friends (note to our Brady bunch friends: this one didn't cost thousands of dollars):

To download our "Thinking of a Florida Vacation?" advisory in .pdf format, click here.

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.

The Dayton Daily News is reporting that excitement is building among hunters about predictions for the fall flight of ducks.

Hunting will start Oct. 15 in the north zone and Oct. 22 in the south. According to the DDN, the 50th annual Ducks Unlimited survey of waterfowl production in Canada, where most ducks are produced, led DU to estimate the fall flight this year will consist of about 31.7 million birds, compared to 32.2 million in 2004.

From the story:

Darron Baker, a Wright State University student, and Aaron Chaney, a Beavercreek fireman, are anxious to get started. Both are members of the Zink Calls field staff.

The two waterfowl hunters enjoyed a successful season a year ago, as did a number of other duck and goose shooters in the Buckeye State.

Baker and Chaney said they did most of their duck and goose hunting at fields where they had observed ducks and geese putting down to feed. The hunters had to obtain permission to hunt these areas.

"We all know that gaining permission these days is getting harder and harder. But there's nothing like hunting where the birds are feeding," Baker said.

Having a good decoy setup is the key, they say.

The story goes on to share some of the various decoys and setups these two hunters have found to be successful, and then continues:

Duck and goose shooting requires responsible hunting. Participants must be able to identify ducks and geese. They have to be familiar with the regulations, observe bag limits, know what shells are legal and how many of them a shotgun can hold. The number is three.

Hunters also need a regular hunting license, Ohio wetlands stamp and federal duck stamp.

A split season applies in both zones. In the north, roughly a third of the state, ducks may be hunted Oct. 15-Dec. 4 and Dec. 24-Jan. 1. In the southern zone duck hunting is Oct. 22-Nov. 13 and Dec. 17-Jan. 22.

The split goose season north is Oct. 15-Nov. 27 and Dec. 17-Jan. 1. In the south it's Oct. 22-Nov. 6 and Dec. 17-Jan. 29.

A special goose season has been established along Erie. Hunting will take place there Oct. 15-31 and Dec. 10-Jan. 1.

Foe more information, visit ohiodnr.com or call (800) WILDLIFE.

Happy hunting!