Reading between the lines on Sub. HB274 vote in Senate

In the days since the bill-killing vote on Substitute HB274 in the Ohio Senate, many OFCC PAC supporters have expressed the difficulty in using the votes on Sub. HB274 in the Senate to discern "who our friends are."

While we cannot speak to every pro-CCW Senator's reasons for voting "YES", there ARE two Senators whose "NO" votes on HB274 were clearly NOT because they are pro-CCW and opposed to the anti-reform substitute language.

In opposing testimony on the floor of the Senate, Priscilla Mead (R-16), said the majority of her constituents in western Franklin and Pickering counties don't support concealed carry. She voted no on Sub. HB274.

Sen. Mead will be up for re-election in 2004. We hope she'll hear from her pro-CCW constituents at the voting booth.

David Goodman (R-3) of eastern Franklin county's 3rd Senate district, sits on the Judiciary Committee (Civil Justice), where the bill's anti-reform amendments were added. He voted against the bill, both in committee and on the floor, but NOT because he opposed the amended language. Key pro-CCW legislators have warned OFCC PAC throughout the summer that he likely opposes CCW reform in general.

Sen. Goodman was re-elected in November. Neither he nor his opponent earned OFCC PAC's endorsement.