Attorney General announces Second Quarter 2008 CHL statistics
Improvements to law spark continued surge in demand for concealed handgun licenses
By Jim Irvine
The Ohio Attorney General’s office has released the concealed handgun license (CHL) statistics for the second quarter of 2008. Demand continues to be strong. It was the fifth straight quarter that demand increased over the same period a year prior
Ohio is now into its fifth year of licensing citizens to carry firearms for protection. Most of the licenses issued in the first two months the law was in effect expired during this reporting period. Over one half, or 14,007, of those licenses were renewed during the quarter. (An additional 2,706 were renewed early and were reported in the first quarter report.)
The normal pattern when a state passes concealed carry is an initial surge, followed by a tapering off in demand till reaching a stabilized demand after three years. That is exactly what happened in Ohio. And then something interesting happened.
HB347 took effect early 2007 (over the objections and veto of then-Governor Taft) eliminating the most onerous clause in Ohio’s concealed carry law which required those with a “concealed” handgun license to carry their guns in “plain sight” in vehicles. HB347 also established statewide preemption – establishing uniform firearm laws throughout the state.
During the quarter HB347 took effect, demand stabilized when compared to the same quarter a year prior. Quartly demand has shown 20-28% increases every quarter since. In addition to all the renewals, Sheriffs issued 8,710 new CHL’s during the second quarter of 2008. It was the most new licenses issued in 15 quarters, dating back to the third quarter of 2004, the first full quarter Ohio’s concealed carry law was in effect.
We are not going away.
There are many plausible explanations for the newfound demand for CHL’s. Passing good bills certainly helps. Enactment of SB184, which was signed into law by Governor Strickland and took effect in September established “Castle Doctrine” in Ohio and fixed over a dozen significant problems in Ohio’s firearms laws. Media may no longer copy and print lists of people with CHLs.
Additionally, there are stories that continue to make it clear that many for too many people, having a gun ready at hand to defend their life allowed them to win a deadly encounter instead of being another statistic.
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