House Criminal Justice Committee Chairman John White (R-38) has removed Castle Doctrine legislation from this week's hearing agenda. No reason was given in the announcement, but Buckeye Firearms Association has been informed that the reason was a "bill management issue", and that "there will be a hearing in the near future."

SB184 passed the Senate last week with unanimous support.

The House committee has already held three hearings on a House version of Castle Doctrine (HB264), which was introduced by Rep. Lynn Wachtmann.

The committee is still scheduled to have a third hearing and possible vote on Rep. Bruce Goodwin's HB450, legislation that would restore gun rights to members of the armed services or the Ohio National Guard who are between the ages of 18 and 21.

The hearing is open to proponent, opponent and interested party testimony.

Please continue to use our Write to Legislators website feature to contact your legislators about Castle Doctrine and other Emergency Action Items, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.

By Jim Irvine

Buckeye Firearms Association filed our post-primary report with the Ohio Secretary of State recently. Thanks to you, we are bigger and stronger than we have ever been, and we are continuing to grow. Your support truly matters.

This report covered the period from February 14 to April 4, 2008. During this time we received $10,490 in donations. Most of this was attributable to our Dave Grossman fundraising event scheduled for September 27th. We also received donations from more than 20 other defenders and supporters. Every one counts.

By Gerard Valentino

West Covina, CA has banned legal concealed carry by retired law-enforcement officers within city limits. The City Council was aided in their decision to disarm law-enforcement officers by one of their own – current Chief of Police Frank Willis.

Angry retired officers are astonished a fellow officer would actively campaign to take away their right to self defense. They argue that law-enforcement officers have an increased risk of being attacked by people they have worked to put in jail and can act as a possible first line of defense.

Now a small number of law enforcement officers are feeling the same level of frustration that law abiding citizens have dealt with as police administrators lobby to take a way the right to use a concealed firearms for self-defense.