By Dave Yost

A judge's black robe is a symbol of impartiality - a head-to-toe cloaking of the self, of all the human passions and weaknesses and individual characteristics that attend a person. Judge Sonia Sotomayor appears to believe that her heart belongs on the sleeve of that robe, and a thoughtful senator might conclude it makes her a poor judge.

Judge Sotomayor and the president who nominated her to the U.S. Supreme Court have made it clear that her empathy and sympathy are among her qualifications for the bench. But those qualities have traditionally been frowned upon in a judge -- for the same reason that judges wear that black robe. It's not about the judge, it's about justice -- and both sides deserve to have the case heard on the merits.

House Bill 1, the two year budget adopted by the Ohio General Assembly, contains some changes to Ohio's firearm laws. These changes are the result of meetings held between gun owner groups and stakeholders in the law enforcement community.

Since the final budget bill is not "engrossed" yet, we are unable to provide an exact copy of the modified laws at this time. However, we are able to provide this summary of the changes contained in the Bill that will be presented to the Governor for signature: