The Associated Press is reporting that Republican Bob Taft, one of the most unpopular governors in Buckeye State history, may veto HB347, which was passed overwhelmingly by members of his party, along with many pro-gun Democrats, on November 29.

From the story:

Taft's objection to overriding local gun laws has been clear for months, spokesman Mark Rickel said, citing as an example Columbus' assault weapons ban.

If the legislation comes to the governor, "the bill would be vetoed," Rickel said.

Contrary to the assertions of his spokesperson, we are unaware of any previous objections to the preemption statute having been voiced by Taft. In fact, just yesterday, this same Taft spokesman offered no insight to reporters into whether the governor would support the revised measure.

"It has not been a priority for the governor at this point," Rickel told the Columbus Dispatch on Tuesday.

Earlier in the week, when asked by legislators and pro-gun groups for his stance on the bill, Taft gave no indication that he would veto the bill. Furthermore, in the weeks before passage of the bill in the House last Spring, Taft made no mention of preemption when he threatened to veto HB347 if it allowed concealed carry in cars or changed the media access loophole.

Acting in good faith, lawmakers from his party removed the media access loophole provision before the bill left the House in March, and worked with the Ohio State Highway Patrol to remove their objection to allowing concealed carry in cars.

Click on ‘Read More’ the entire story.

If the media is ashamed of their biased news coverage in the days leading up to passage of Ohio's concealed carry laws, or if journalists have been convinced by the overwhelming evidence in Ohio that gun ban extremists were wrong about their "wild west" rhetoric, they sure aren't showing it.

Media reports on HB347 in recent days have been equally disingenuous, and in some cases provably factually wrong. This story will be used to document some of the more pertinent examples the anti-gun media covers passage of this important legislation.

Is HB347 liberal, or conservative?

According to the Associated Press, HB347 is a "liberal" gun law:

With strong Republican majorities in both chambers, the current legislative makeup has been viewed as an unprecedented opportunity for passing more liberal gun laws in the state.

But according to a WKRC Cincinnati story, on the other hand, HB347 is a "conservative" gun law:

The Ohio Senate is expected to pass the conservative bill Wednesday morning.

Does the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) oppose HB347, or not?


The same WKRC story contained a blatant error, asserting that the OSHP was still fighting the legislation.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is fighting against hidden weapons and how it could affect you.