2009 Ohio Highpower Regional Results

The results from the 2009 Ohio Regional and related events, held by the Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association at Camp Perry over the Memorial Day weekend, are available under "Highpower Rifle" at www.orpa.net. As usual, Ohio was proud to have some of the finest shooters in the country participate, and the scores reflect this.

Restaurant Carry Bill Introduced in Ohio House!

Ohio House Representatives Danny Bupb of West Union and Jarrod Martin of Beavercreek have introduced HB 203, which would allow Concealed Handgun License holders to defend themselves and their families in restaurants. You can read more about it here.

Ohio Woman Wins NRA Award

Linda Walker of Alexandria, Ohio is the winner of the 2009 Sybil Ludington Women’s Freedom Award. As the NRA states, "This award recognizes exceptional accomplishments of modern heroines through their legislative activism as well as advocacy, volunteerism, and education of others to the goals of the Second Amendment and the NRA." Linda was the speaker at last year's ORPA Annual Dinner. She has worked very hard for our rights, and it is good to see her receive this well-deserved recognition. Linda is a Leader with the Buckeye Firearms Association, and she is also an ORPA member.

Ohio Indoor Pistol Chamionship Sets a Possible 30 National Records

The recent Ohio State Indoor Pistol Championship, held at the Oak Harbor Conservation Club (OHCC), has resulted in the submission of 30 National Indoor Records to the NRA for official recognition. Thanks go to our Pistol Director, Rick Pozo, and to the OHCC for organizing this great tournament. You can find out more about our Pistol Program under "Pistol" at ORPA's website.

Alaska-style Concealed Carry Introduced in Ohio House

Ohio House Representative John Adams of Sidney has introduced HB 129, which would give Ohio Alaska-style concealed carry. You can read more about it here.

Lake and Trails Registration Starts

As I wrote before, the Lake and Trails Organization will be holding a Youth Outdoor Camp from October 1st to 4th, 2009 at the Ohio FFA Camp Muskingum in Carrollton, Ohio. You can get more information here. The registration form is available here, and the April newsletter is here.

Ohio Stops Issuing New NRA Foundation License Plates

Thanks to Dan White for letting me know about this.

From an email from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles:

Thank you for the opportunity to assist you with your inquiry. The National Rifle Association organizational plate is no longer available effective January 15, 2009.

Ohio Revised Code Section 4503.511 and 4503.77(B)(1), states “The Registrar shall send written notice to the organization informing if, during any calendar year the total number of motor vehicle registrations involving a particular type of nonstandard license plates does not meet the minimum sales requirements including new registrations and registration renewals. The Registrar of motor vehicles, on or after the first day of January, but not later than the fifteenth day of January of the following year, shall send written notice to the organization informing them of this fact. The Registrar also shall inform the organization that if, during the calendar year in which the written notice is sent, the total number of motor vehicle registrations involving the organization’s nonstandard license plate again is less than the minimum sales requirements the organization will be terminated on the thirty-first day of December of the calendar year in which the written notice is sent.”

The Registration Section has identified the National Rifle Association organization as one that has sold less than 500 plates during the 2008 year. Ohio citizens that currently own the license plate may continue to renew them. However, Ohio is no longer issuing new or replacement NRA plates.

Thank you again for this opportunity to assist you. If you have any further questions or comments, please feel free to call the Ohio BMV Registration section at 1-800-589-8247 or visit us online at http://www.oplates.com/.

Great Opportunity for Young People

The Lake and Trails Organization will be holding a Youth Outdoor Camp from October 1st to 4th, 2009 at the Ohio FFA Camp Muskingum in Carrollton, Ohio. You can get more information here.

Article about shooting opportunities in Ohio

Folks often ask me to let them know where they can shoot in Ohio. Daniel White has a nice article about the many shooting ranges that ODNR has in Ohio. You can access the article here.

Merry Christmas!

Best wishes for a wonderful Christmas!

Roll Call on HB 450

Here were the votes in the Ohio House and Senate for Substitute House Bill 450, which extended the rights of adults serving their country in the Armed Forces of the United States:

Senate:

yeas (28): Amstutz, Austria, Boccieri, Buehrer, Cafaro, Carey, Cates, Coughlin, Faber, Fedor, Goodman, Grendell, Harris, Kearney, Lehner, D. Miller, Morano, Niehaus, Padgett, Patton, Roberts, Sawyer, Schaffer, Schuring, Seitz, Stivers, Wagoner, Wilson

nays (3): R. Miller, Smith, Turner

House:

yeas (91): Adams, Aslanides, Bacon, Batchelder, Beatty, Blessing, Bolon, Book, Boyd, Brady, Brinkman, Brown, Bubp, Budish, Carmichael, Celeste, Chandler, Ciafardini, Coley, Collier, Combs, Core, Daniels, DeBose, DeGeeter, DeWine, Dodd, Dolan, Domenick, Driehaus, Dyer, Fende, Flowers, Foley, Gardner, Garrison, Gerberry, Gibbs, Goodwin, Goyal, Grady, J. Hagan, R. Hagan, Harwood, Heard, Heydinger, Hite, Hottinger, Huffman, Hughes, Husted, Jones, Letson, Luckie, Lundy, Mandel, J. McGregor, R. McGregor, Mecklenborg, Miller, Nero, Oelslager, Okey, Otterman, Peterson, Redfern, Reinhard, Sayre, Schindel, Schlichter, Schneider, Sears, Setzer, Skindell, Slesnick, Stebelton, D. Stewart, J. Stewart, Strahorn, Sykes, Szollosi, Uecker, Wachtmann, Wagner, White, B. Williams, S. Williams, Wolpert, Yates, Yuko, Zehringer

nays (0):

Thanks to NRA and BFA

Thanks very much to the National Rifle Association and the Buckeye Firearms Association, who worked tirelessly both publicly and behind the scenes to make sure that a good version of Substitute House Bill 450 was passed.

HB 450 on Governor's Desk for Signature

Update: An amendment to the CHL fee structure, which would have almost certainly meant an increase in CHL fees, was removed from the previously passed Substitute House Bill 450, and the Senate and the House both passed this after midnight last night and sent the bill to the Governor for signature. Read more about all of this here.

Ohio Senate Passes HB 450

The Judiciary - Criminal Justice Committee of the Ohio Senate today approved House Bill 450, with amendments, and sent the bill to the entire Senate, which then also approved the bill. Find out more about this bill here. The Ohio House should vote on concurrence tomorrow. More details later....

On Radio, 12/14/08

I will be a guest on Jim Irvine's radio show tomorrow night on 1420 AM (Cleveland). If you can't listen to the broadcast live, you can listen live on the internet or later to the podcast. Please see this link for further details. The show starts at 10 p.m., and I should be on around 10:40 or so.

Hearing on Ohio House Bill 450

On Wednesday, December 10th, I testified on behalf of Ohio House Bill 450 to the Judiciary - Criminal Justice Committee of the Ohio Senate. The bill's primary sponsor is Representative Goodwin of Defiance. Linda Walker of the Buckeye Firearms Association also testified on behalf of the bill. This bill would allow adults between 18 and 21 who are in the armed forces to purchase handguns. Law enforcement officers of the same age already have this privilege. You can read more about it here. This includes a transcript of my remarks to the committee.

Special Group of People

I would like to recognize a special group of people. Without these people and millions of Americans like them throughout history, there would be no Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association, no National Rifle Association, no Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, no Article 4, Section 1 of the Ohio Constitution, and we would certainly be living very different lives than the ones we are privileged to live in the greatest nation in human history. Some of us served in peacetime, some in the most difficult and dangerous wartime conditions, but all served the cause of freedom. Military veterans, thank you for your service and sacrifice. Let us continue to defend those rights which they and many others have defended, many at a terrible cost.

OFCC Scholarship Deadline Approaching

Ohioans for Concealed Carry is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a "student enrolled in an Ohio college or university who is a current member in good standing of an active on-campus student organization devoted to gun rights." The deadline is November 30th. You can read more about it here.

Gunsmoke in the Air at Guns of August

A few weeks ago, I attended the annual Guns of August Cowboy Action shooting event at Middletown Sportsmen's Club. This is a huge event, and I encourage any of you who have not attended this event or any other Cowboy Action event to do so. It is a lot of fun for the whole family. Along with the very entertaining and skillful shooting events themselves, there were many vendors with items for sale for aspiring cowboys and cowgirls, including firearms. Three of our ORPA Trustees, Alan Joseph, Bob Sacco, and Larry Dan Smith, were very involved with this event. If you have any questions about Cowboy Action, please contact Bob, ORPA's Cowboy Action Shooting Director. Here are some photos I took, which do not give a good idea of the size of this event - there were hundreds of people there.

OFCC Party in the Park

I was very pleased today to be at the "safest place in Ohio", the Ohioans for Concealed Carry's Party in the Park. The reason for the safe environment is that most of the attendees were exercising their rights as Ohioans and Americans to keep and bear arms. I want to thank Ohioans for Concealed Carry for inviting me to the event and giving me the opportunity to speak.

The keynote speaker for this event was Cam Edwards from NRA News, and there were many other speakers. All three candidates for Ohio Attorney General gave speeches, along with a couple of U.S. Congressional Candidates. Cam headed up to Camp Perry after the picnic, so make sure you stop by and say hello to him there and thank him for his support of Ohio firearm owners. Following are a few pictures from the event.

Ohio Attorney General Candidates to Speak on Sunday

The three declared candidates for Ohio Attorney General have indicated that they will attend and speak at the Ohioans for Concealed Carry's Party in the Park event this coming Sunday, August 3rd. The keynote speaker for this event is Cam Edwards from NRA News, and there will be other speakers, including me. The event will be at Liberty Park in Delaware County, north of Columbus, and the public is invited. Tomorrow, Friday, August 1st, is the last day to purchase tickets. You may also bring your own food and drinks and attend for free. You can get more information, including ticket info and a map to the event here and here.

The Ohio Attorney General is an office of particular importance to Ohio firearm owners, so please consider taking this opportunity to meet the candidates.

Liveblog from Camp Perry

You can catch the latest news from the Nationals at Camp Perry here - definitely worth checking out periodically!

ORPA Juniors Shine!

Folks sometimes ask me what you get for an ORPA membership, other than the newsletter and the ability to compete at ORPA matches. Well, it's not all about politics. For one thing, you help support events like the one described here. You also help support our teams, both adult and junior, at the Nationals. No other Ohio firearm organization has as many teams competing at the highest level or runs as many matches.

Thanks go to Tom and Peg Paumier, Newt Engle, and many other folks, along with the University of Akron, for all their hard work and Ohio's fine showing.

If a young person you know might be interested in air-rifle marksmanship, please contact Tom at the email given near the end of the story.

First Shot at Camp Perry

Today, there was the annual First Shot Ceremony at Camp Perry for the National Rifle and Pistol Championships. As ORPA President, I was invited to attend, and I was very honored and happy to represent your Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association. Speakers included Governor Ted Strickland and U.S. Representatives Marcy Kaptur and Bob Latta. Camp Perry is in Representative Kaptur's district, and, as many of you know, Representative Latta has shot many times at Camp Perry, and he said that he is planning to shoot once again in this year's Garand Match. NRA President John Sigler was the primary speaker and the "First Shooter." The First Shot Rifle was a one-of-a-kind Bushmaster DCM, generously donated by Bushmaster.

There were many other distinguished guests and a large crowd on hand to witness Army parachutists jumping from a helicopter with a U.S. flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol and a flyover of Air National Guard fighters. I was not in the best position to take photographs, but there are a few below. Please note the pictures of the Shooters' Memorial, where they are gradually replacing the plain bricks with engraved bricks. A few examples are shown. It is not too late to get your own brick(s). Click here for more information.

Please plan on attending the National Matches, if you are not participating. Ohio is privileged to have the finest shooters in the world attend, and there are many shooting-related vendors also available with special National Match deals. More information on the matches can be found here and here. Many ORPA Members and Teams shoot at these matches, and many Members also give much of their time and effort in helping to run these matches.

Parachutists bringing flag

First Shot!

After First Shot

NRA President Sigler

Shooters' Memorial

Shooters' Memorial bricks

Commercial Row, open for business!

Interesting Events in Willowick

There have been interesting events in Willowick, Ohio, the last couple of weeks. A citizen who was openly carrying a firearm in a holster was stopped by police officers, and most would agree that the citizen was not treated in the most professional manner (audio available - please note, contains foul language). Although open carry is somewhat controversial, it is legal in Ohio (with some exceptions) and in many states for those who are lawful firearm owners, not just Concealed Handgun License holders. For example, the City of Akron has circulated a memo reinforcing the general legality of open carry in Ohio. The original story, including the audio of the encounter (near the bottom on the webpage) is available here. A followup story is available here, with various police records, including reports and police calls. Finally, Ohioans for Concealed Carry had a very productive meeting with Willowick city officials, and this is discussed here. Congratulations to OFCC for their hard (and effective) work on this, turning an unfortunate incident into a positive.

Happy Fourth of July! Don't forget about those who have helped secure and continue to help secure our freedoms.

Landmark DC vs. Heller Decision

By now, you've heard about the DC vs. Heller U.S. Supreme Court decision. The most important part of the decision is that the Supreme Court, for the first time, affirmed that the Second Amendment secures the right to keep and bear arms for individuals, and it is not in any way a "collective" right. Your Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association was involved, assisting with a friend-of-the-court brief. Ohioans should know that the Ohio Constitution is even clearer on the right to keep and bear arms (see the top of this web page), so our Ohio government should also not infringe on our rights in this area.

For more analysis, here are some links:

NRA

Buckeye Firearms Association

Ohioans for Concealed Carry, Part 1

Ohioans for Concealed Carry, Part 2

DC v. Heller Decision Expected Soon

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision on DC v. Heller is expected sometime very soon - very likely this week. This looks to be the most important Supreme Court decision in decades - possibly ever. You can read more about it here, including your Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association's participation in this historic case.

Governor Signs Firearms Law Reform!

Governor Strickland today signed Senate Bill 184. My wife and I attended the signing, and the Governor mentioned the Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association by name as helping in the passage of this very important legislation. The Buckeye Firearms Association and the National Rifle Association worked very hard on this and deserve a tremendous amount of credit. This is a huge victory for all law-abiding citizens of Ohio. Please see this post for details on the bill. The NRA press release on the signing is here. The law becomes effective on September 9, 2008.

Governor to Sign Firearms Law Reform on Tuesday

Governor Strickland is scheduled to sign Senate Bill 184 on Tuesday, June 10th. This is a huge victory for the law-abiding citizens of Ohio. Please see this post for details on the bill. The law becomes effective 90 days after signature.

President's Statement in June/July 2008 "Gunsmoke"

This issue, I’d like to discuss a few different subjects that should be of interest to the members.

The first subject is volunteers, especially those who help with the running of matches. Most of you probably realize that the matches that ORPA runs and sanctions are almost exclusively staffed by volunteers. These volunteers gladly give of their time and often their money, through expenses, to support the shooting sports. In addition, they often give up much, if not all, of their participation in these matches. In many cases, their time goes way beyond what you see of them on match day. They create match programs, collect entries, set up targets, squad participants, and otherwise organize the match beforehand, and they calculate the match scores and determine the winners afterwards. In many cases, they create match reports and send them to all the participants. Making sure that the matches have a venue, such as Camp Perry, is not a trivial task, and dealing with weather and other problems encountered during matches can be very frustrating for the volunteers, as well as the participants. The infamous “boat delays” at Camp Perry are a good example of problems unique to the shooting sports and to certain venues. I’m sure that you shooters know of many others.

So, I hope you’ll be patient next time there are problems at a match. You can be sure that the volunteers are doing the best they can to get “rounds down range” within the constraints of safety, time, and other parameters. Certainly, if you are a participant and feel that you aren’t being treated fairly, you should point this out to the Match Director. However, volunteers cannot control the weather and many other issues, so please have some understanding. Also, if you’re cautioned for a safety-related issue, take it in stride and learn from your mistake. By following a few rules, everyone can feel safe on the line. We’ve all carelessly forgotten a rule from time to time, so don’t take it personally when this is pointed out. By correcting small problems, we can avoid big, disastrous problems that no one wants.

I’d also encourage you to volunteer yourself, whenever you get a chance. Even a small bit of help can make a big difference, if everyone pitches in. Remember, everyone at the match is there because of his or her love of shooting, and the very best thing we can do to promote the shooting sports and protect our rights as Americans and Ohioans is to get as many people as possible involved.

The shooting season will be in full swing when you read this. I hope you’ll consider trying something new this year – perhaps smallbore, if you’re a highpower shooter, or pistol, if you’re a rifle shooter. Most of us have our favorite activity, and this may not change, but I always enjoy trying something new in the shooting sports, even when I’m not that good at it! If you’re a new participant in a sport, let folks know and they’ll be glad to help. If you’re the person who’s experienced, help out the person who’s trying it for the first time. Remember, you had a first time, also.

The last subject I wanted to address was the passing of a great American, Charlton Heston. 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.