Shooter Lones Wigger Makes Olympic Hall of Fame

Shooter Lones Wigger has been selected to be in the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Thanks to everyone who voted for Lt. Col. Wigger as requested here. You can read more about Lt. Col. Wigger here. The press release from the Olympic Hall of Fame is here.

Concealed Carry Improvement Bill Introduced in Senate

Ohio Senate Bill 318 has been introduced by Senator Faber. This bill incorporates many changes to concealed-carry law in Ohio. It has been assigned to the Judiciary - Criminal Justice Committee. You can read more about it here.

Hearing on Ohio House Bill 450

Today, I testified on behalf of Ohio House Bill 450 to the Criminal Justice Committee. The bill's primary sponsor is Representative Goodwin of Defiance. I was the only proponent witness and there were no opponent witnesses. This bill would allow adults between 18 and 21 who are in the armed forces to purchase handguns. You can read more about it here.

Ohio Senate Passes "Castle Doctine" Overwhelmingly!

The Senate Judiciary - Criminal Justice Committee of the Ohio Senate voted SB 184, the "Castle Doctrine" bill, out of committee this morning, and this afternoon the entire Senate passed the bill by a vote of 31-0. You can read more about this here.

USSA Candidates' Reception

I attended the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance Ohio Candidates' Reception in Columbus this evening. Many incumbent and non-incumbent candidates attended this reception to meet with sportsmen and women from all across Ohio. One very important aspect of this reception is that both the Ohio Republican and Ohio Democratic Parties were sponsors, demonstrating the bipartisan nature of much legislation in this area. Linda Walker and Larry Moore of the Buckeye Firearms Association helped me meet quite a few legislators and future legislators.

Ohio Senate Bill 184 Amended

Ohio Senate Bill 184 , the "Castle Doctrine" bill, was amended in its fifth hearing before the Senate Judiciary - Criminal Justice Committee. You can read more about this here. I urge you to contact your State Senator and encourage him or her to push for passage of this bill. Also, please contact your State Representative and ask for passage of the companion bill, House Bill 264.

2008 ORPA Highpower Season Starting May 10th & 11th

The first matches of the ORPA Highpower Season are on May 10th and 11th at Camp Perry. The Ohio State Service Rifle Individual Championship is on May 10th, and the Ohio State Service Rifle Team Championship is on May 11th. In addition, a Garand Match will be held in conjunction with the Team Championship on the 11th. Please contact me at orpa@embarqmail.com if you need further information.

Charlton Heston, R.I.P.

As you are no doubt aware, Charlton Heston passed away on Saturday. Mr. Heston was the most dominant figure in the fight for firearms rights in my lifetime. Unlike so many celebrities who support causes that are popular with their fellow glitterati of Hollywood culture, he took numerous stands on issues that were very unpopular in that culture. In this, he showed great courage, and he always made his points firmly, politely, persuasively, and effectively. In doing so, he should be an example for all of us fighting for our rights as Americans. Charlton Heston spent his life "In the Arena," unabashedly fighting for freedom, and he will be sorely missed.

President's Statement in April/May 2008 "Gunsmoke"

We are in an important election year, and it’s vital to ensure that our elected officials keep our point of view in mind. It is too easy to just complain among ourselves about bad bills that are passed, good bills that don’t get passed, bad court decisions, or any other political development we don’t like. We as law-abiding firearms owners need to effectively communicate our perspective to our elected officials. I have a few suggestions for accomplishing this that vary in difficulty from very easy to a little more time-consuming.

1) Educate yourself. This is essential to all of the following suggestions. Find out who your officials are. An excellent resource for this is here. You can enter your Zip Code and find your officials. If you have problems with this or need help identifying your elected officials, please contact me. Also, find out how your officials are actually voting on important issues. You can’t always be sure that their actions match their campaign promises. I am instituting a “Legislative Corner” in each issue of “Gunsmoke” that will give an update on firearms-related issues, focusing on Ohio issues.

2) Vote. This is an obvious suggestion, but it’s surprising how many people do not vote, especially in off-year elections. Not only does your vote obviously count directly in electing firearms-friendly officials, but, by voting in every election, you make the actions suggested below even more effective. Although how you vote is secret, how often you vote is public knowledge, and you will be taken much more seriously if you vote in every election than if you never or rarely vote.

3) Contact your officials. It is a fact that letters, phone calls, and other communications are extremely effective in influencing public policy, especially at the state and local level. Politely, respectfully, and firmly express your opinion on specific legislation. You can find out bill numbers and other information from “Gunsmoke” and other resources. You can also express your general support of firearms-related rights and of ORPA’s efforts in defending those rights.

4) Renew your ORPA membership and recruit new members for ORPA. When I and other ORPA officers communicate with officials, our membership level is very important to the level of influence we have. Also, a higher membership level makes for a financially healthier ORPA, enabling us to better support not just legislative efforts, but competitions, junior and disabled shooting, and our many other programs.

5) Contribute to campaigns. Ohio has an interesting feature in its tax law whereby Ohio taxpayers can give money to candidates in Ohio races at effectively no cost to the taxpayer. Qualifying races are those for the Ohio Senate, the Ohio House, Governor, Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor of State, Treasurer of State, Ohio Attorney General, the Ohio Supreme Court, and the Ohio Board of Education. If you give up to $50 as a single taxpayer or $100 as Married, Filing Jointly, to the campaign committees of candidates in these qualifying races, you can then claim a tax credit on your Ohio return for that tax year. This is a tax credit and not just a deduction, which means that the entire amount of your contribution, up to the limits mentioned above, can be taken off of your tax liability when you file. Please note that this is for the state-level races named above only, not federal or local races. I urge you to take advantage of this Ohio tax feature during this important election year. Please include a letter with your contribution expressing your support of the shooting sports, hunting, and firearms rights for law-abiding citizens and your membership in and support of the Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association. This will help ORPA in our efforts to defend your rights and promote the shooting sports.

6) Take someone shooting or hunting. The more people involved in the shooting sports, the stronger our sports and the greater our influence. Juniors are particularly important in this regard, since they represent the future of our sports. Also, make new participants feel welcome at your competitions, so they continue to be involved.

If you have any questions on any of the above suggestions, please contact me. Although all voters influence the political process, it is a fact that those who are most involved have the most influence. We as shooters, hunters, and collectors need to effectively participate in the political process to defend the principles we all hold dear. Your Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association is working hard to defend these principles, but we need the help of every one of our members.