By Jim Irvine, Chairman

I hope everyone enjoyed a great end to an exciting year. As we welcome in
the New Year, I'd like to look ahead to events that will happen in 2006, a
year for change.

Before this year is out, we will elect a new Governor, and by all
appearances, most of the other statewide offices. (Secretary of State,
Attorney General, State Auditor, and Treasurer) We will also be replacing at
least 16 Ohio Representatives, six Ohio Senators, and three US Congressmen,
and our anti-gun Senator Mike DeWine is also up for election this year. The
political landscape is going to change.

We expect to see changes in hunting rules. HB367, protection of sportsmen's
dollars has already been sent to Governor Taft. We are hopeful that HB296,
establishing an apprentice hunting license, will be passed in the Senate and sent to Governor Taft this
spring. And we will continue to work with the ODNR to amend hunting
regulations to allow those with a CHL to carry while hunting.

The passing of Ohio's shall issue concealed carry law in 2004 was a great
accomplishment, and the law is now two years old. While all the doomsday
predictions the anti-gunners made have predictably been proven false, there
are real problems with our concealed carry law, and it's time to start
fixing them. Representative Jim Aslanides (R-94) of Coshocton is again
leading the charge in the legislature. Buckeye Firearms will have full
coverage as HB347 progresses through the legislature.

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

The Canton Repository has published an excellent article written by a journalist who sat through a recent concealed handgun license course offered at The Firing Line in Canal Fulton. The article details some of the students who participated in the class, and describes the course itself. Perhaps the opening few paragraphs will do more than anything in terms of helping readers understand the need for armed self-defense preparations.

Recently, Warren pizza shop owner Eugene Madill drove to The Firing Line here to take an Ohio-required 12-hour “Carrying Concealed Weapon,” or CCW, training course.

A few weeks ago, he returned to the indoor pistol range to thank his instructors, Joseph M. Slish and Ed Lee, for the instruction that saved his life.

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