Today the City of Cleveland filed a declaratory judgment against the
State of Ohio to fight the enactment of
Ohio Revised Code (ORC) Section 9.68. Click here to download the press release. (.pdf)

ORC Section 9.68: "(A) The individual right to keep and bear arms,
being a
fundamental individual right that predates the United States
Constitution and
Ohio Constitution, and being a constitutionally protected right in
every part of
Ohio, the general assembly finds the need to provide uniform laws
throughout the state
regulating the ownership, possession, purchase, other acquisition,
transport, storage,
carrying, sale, or other transfer of firearms, their components, and
their ammunition."

This preemption provision enacted in HB347 allows law abiding gun owners
to travel throughout Ohio without concern
of violating the previous patchwork of ordinances enacted by various
cities. HB347 effectively put the battle back where
it belongs, between the city attorneys and the state legislature.

Click on the 'Read More' link below for Buckeye Firearms Association Response to Cleveland Announcing Lawsuit Against HB347.

The long awaited end to one of the dumbest
provisions of Ohio's original concealed carry law is here.

For the first time in the almost three years since Ohio's concealed
carry law took effect, CHL-holders are no longer required to carry
their holstered firearm in "plain sight" while in a motor vehicle.
The unpopular, unsafe requirement was struck from Ohio's law by HB347,
a bill which became law despite a gubernatorial veto last December.

Click 'Read More' for the entire story.

By Ken Hanson

In another exercise of pointing out bias in reporting, lest we all become so used to it we find it acceptable, John McCarthy of the Ohio Associated Press serves up another heaping serving of bias in his “coverage” of HB347 going into effect. As we examined previously with an example from the Toledo Blade, some of the bias is subtle, some of it not so much.

As before, we encourage you to read Mr. McCarthy’s “news” story first. It can be found at the following link:

"Law change will allow motorists to have hidden guns"

The overt bias, the bias in tone and adjective selection, begins with the title . Normally I do not take issue with titles, as headline writers tend to be sensational to sell stories. However, Mr. McCarthy repeats the bias in the body of the story, meaning the prejudice is his and he is not a victim of a headline writer.

The prejudice and bias in the first sentence and headline is through the use of the word “hidden.” The word “hidden” does not appear in any state’s law, any case, any constitution; yet Mr. McCarthy insists on using it several times, as in the law will now allow “people to carry hidden guns.”

You see, the word “hidden” is an inherently pejorative adjective. “Hidden” carries the connotation that the noun form it modifies is something evil, something that should not be subject to public scrutiny lest the actor face some consequence. Guilty people hide things. Be wary of people who hide things.

Turning to the dictionary, we see that “concealed” is used in the definition of “hidden,” but “concealed” is not a proper synonym of “hidden.” Suggested synonyms of “hidden” include secret, veiled, occult. Clearly the dictionary editors feel that “hidden” and “concealed” have separate, mutually exclusive contexts; it is not a proper exercise of substitution to use the one word in place of the other.

Against this background, it is very difficult to think Mr. McCarthy, a writer for the A.P, was simply careless in choice of words. I am aware of the saying “Never ascribe to malice that which is explained by stupidity.” I do not think Mr. McCarthy is stupid; we are left with only malice.

Click on 'Read More' for the entire commentary.

Buckeye Firearms Association has created an information-packed “wallet card” to help Ohio CCW instructors educate their students. It’s called the Buckeye CCW Wallet Card and it is available in quantity upon request and free of charge for any certified Ohio CCW instructor.

“There’s a lot you have to know when you first get your Concealed Handgun License in Ohio,” says Jim Irvine, Chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association. “You learn all the rules in the mandatory 12-hour course, but it’s a lot to digest all at once. So we decided to create a small card with some of the basic information licensees often ask about.”

The CCW Wallet Card is the size of a normal business card, so it fits in any wallet or purse. It’s printed on heavy paper and is specially coated to help it hold up to wear and tear until students takes the next CCW class, where they can get an updated card.

Both sides of the card are filled with basic information every CHL holder should know, including:

• Basic NRA gun safety rules
• The states where an Ohio CHL is valid
• Rules for motor vehicle carry
• How to transport a non-CCW firearm
• Tips for encounters with law enforcement
• A list of forbidden carry zones