2009 already busiest year ever for concealed carry licenses

By Jim Irvine

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray (D) has released the concealed handgun license (CHL) statistics for the third quarter of 2009. The demand for licenses to conceal carry firearms remained strong last quarter, marking an unprecedented ten quarters in a row with an increased demand compared to the same year over year period. Concealed carry continues to be something both long-time and new gun owners are interested in. If you buy a handgun for self defense, it makes sense to get the license needed to carry it with you.

The third quarter in 2009 saw a whopping 54% increase over the same period in 2008. In terms of original issued licenses issued in the quarter, it trailed only 2004 which was the first year, and only the second quarter of Ohio's concealed carry law. The 11,760 licensed issued amounted to only a 3% decline from the initial surge that first year. Taking into account the 3,600 licenses renewed during the quarter there were a total of 15,360 licenses issued – or a 27% increase over the same period in 2004. As has been previously noted, it is highly unusual that demand in later years exceeds the initial surge, but improvements to a bad law and fear of the Obama administration coupled with a poor economy explain the ongoing trend.

The 3,600 licenses renewed during the period was a decline from prior quarters, but that is simply a reflection of a lower demand for initial licenses four years ago. The 3,600 renewals was a record 80% of those expiring during the period. It is too soon to tell if the renewal this is an anomaly or a new normal effected by the lower renewal fee that became effective October 17, 2009 as a result of HB1. Either way there is now a record 169,000 Ohio citizens licensed to carry a concealed handgun. (See chart)

(Note: This story has been updated to reflect the publishing of additional letters.)

On November 19, 2009, the Hamilton News-Journal and Middletown Journal, sister papers which are both owned by Cox Ohio Publishing, responded to an anti-concealed carry report issued by the Violence Policy Center ("Concealed Carry Killers") by running an unsigned editorial entitled "Tracking a bad law's aftermath."

In the editorial, the anonymous writers asserted that concealed carry permit-holders are, at the very least, vigilantes with "macho fantasies" and at worst, potential mass murders. The editorial unquestioningly repeated many of the vehemently anti-gun VPC's allegations as fact, and saying they were "glad someone is trying to keep a tally of the carnage."

The editorial has since been run in several other Ohio newspapers, including the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette (a Gannett Co. newspaper), and the Ravenna Record Publisher, which is owned by Dix Communications. Only the Record Publisher gave attribution to another paper when they republished the editorial on their website.

At long last, both the Journal-News and Middletown Journal have published letters to the editor that were written in response to the editorial.