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.

Former Xavier Rifle Team Member On Olympic Team Again

Jason Parker has qualified for his third Olympic Team. Jason is a 1996 graduate of Xavier University where he was a four-year All American. He joined the Army Marksmanship Unit in January 1997. He competed on the 2000 Olympic team in Sydney, the 2004 Olympic Team in Athens, and is now going to Beijing. The official release is on USA Shooting's website. This month, Parker qualified for 2 Olympic events, Men's Smallbore Three Position and Men's Air Rifle. In the past he had competed in Air Rifle only. Jason's coach when he was at Xavier was Alan Joseph, the ORPA Membership Secretary.

Ohio Firearms Law Reform Awaits Governor's Signature!

Today, the Ohio Senate voted 25-7 to approve the improved version of Senate Bill 184. This is a huge victory for the law-abiding citizens of Ohio. Please see the last post for details on the bill.

Please see how your Senator voted and remember this in November:

Yeas – 25

Amstutz, Austria, Boccieri, Buehrer, Cafaro, Carey, Cates, Faber, Fedor, Goodman, Grendell, Harris, Jacobson, Mumper, Niehaus, Padgett, Roberts, Schaffer, Schuler, Schuring, Seitz, Spada, Stivers, Wagoner, Wilson

Nays - 7

Kearney, Mason, D. Miller, R. Miller, Morano, Sawyer, Smith

Ohio Firearms Law Reform Passes Big Hurdle!

Today, the Ohio House voted 73-23 to approve the improved version of Senate Bill 184. This is a major accomplishment, but we need to keep pushing. The Buckeye Firearms Association and the National Rifle Association have been working very hard on this and deserve a tremendous amount of credit. The bill will next be considered by the full Senate. This bill addresses many of the issues we as firearms owners and concealed-carry-license holders have had for some time. Below, you can see a summary of the bill's most important features, in addition to the original "Castle Doctrine" law. You can read more about the amended bill here. Please contact your State Senator and express your support for SB 184.

Also, please check to see how your Representative voted (at bottom) and remember this in November.

SB 184's features (courtesy of Buckeye Firearms Association):

• Clarification on how persons without a Concealed Handgun License (CHL) can legally transport firearms in an automobile
  
• Allows lawful concealed carry in your home without a Concealed Handgun License (CHL)
  
• Clarifies an unloaded firearm as one with no ammunition in the firearm or in magazines or speedloaders, regardless of where else ammunition is stored
  
• Allows lawful Concealed Carry in retail establishments with a class D6/D8 liquor license (package sales only, not bars/restaurants)
  
• Allows pick up/drop off by CHL holders in school safety zones
  
• Provides for mandatory legal fees for gun owners who require court orders to have firearms returned to them.
  
• Allows lawful Concealed Carry in state owned shelters, restrooms and parking garages.
  
• Decriminalizes Concealed Carry in privately owned parking garages.
  
• Prohibits landlords from prohibiting tenants from owning/carrying firearms
  
• Allows CHL holders to carry firearm in unlocked glove compartment or center console.
  
• Expunged/Sealed records are no longer considered when applying for a CHL.
  
• Written test is no longer required for competency renewal of CHL

Yeas - 73

Adams, Aslanides, Bacon, Batchelder, Blessing, Bolon, Book, Brady, Brinkman, Carmichael, Coley, Collier, Combs, Core, Daniels, DeBose, DeWine, Dodd, Dolan, Domenick, Driehaus, Dyer, Evans, Fende, Fessler, Flowers, Gardner, Garrison, Gerberry, Gibbs, Goodwin, Goyal, Hagan, Harwood, Heydinger, Hite, Hottinger, Huffman, Hughes, Husted, Jones, Lundy, Mandel, J. McGregor, R. McGregor, Mecklenborg, Miller, Newcomb, Oelslager, Okey, Otterman, Patton, Peterson, Raussen, Redfern, Reinhard, Sayre, Schindel, Schlichter, Schneider, Sears, Setzer, J. Stewart, Szollosi, Uecker, Wachtmann, Wagner, Webster, White, Widener, Wolpert, Yuko, Zehringer

Nays - 23

Beatty, Boyd, Brown, Budish, Celeste, Chandler, DeGeeter, Foley, Heard, Koziura, Letson, Luckie, Mallory, Skindell, Slesnick, Stebelton, D. Stewart, Strahorn, Sykes, Ujvagi, B. Williams, S. Williams, Yates

Ohio Firearms Law Reform on the Move!

Today, the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee voted to approve an extremely important amendment to Senate Bill 184 and passed the amended bill out of committee. This is a major accomplishment, but we need to keep pushing. The bill will next be considered by the full House, as early as tomorrow. This amendment addresses many of the issues we as firearms owners and concealed-carry-license holders have had for some time. You can read more about the amended bill here. A summary of the improvements is available here. Please contact your State Representative and express your support for SB 184.

Testimony on Amendment to Ohio SB 184

On Thursday, I testified to the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee in support of a proposed amendment to Senate Bill 184. This amendment addresses many of the issues we as firearms owners and concealed-carry-license holders have had for some time. We hope for a vote that would move the amended bill out of committee this week. You can read more about the amendment here. Please contact your State Representative and express your support for this amendment and for SB 184.

Ohio House Bill 450 Passes Overwhelmingly!

The Ohio House has passed House Bill 450 with a vote of 90 to 3. The bill's primary sponsor is Representative Goodwin of Defiance. I testified on behalf of this bill last month. The bill will now be considered by the Ohio Senate. 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.

Omnibus Amendment for "Castle Doctrine"!

This week is a big week for firearm owners in Ohio. An amendment has been proposed for Ohio Senate Bill 184 that addresses many of the issues we as firearm owners and concealed-carry-license holders have had for some time. There will be another meeting of the House Criminal Justice Committee tomorrow which may include a vote. The Buckeye Firearms Association and the National Rifle Association have been working very hard on this. You can get details on the amendment here. Please contact your State Representative and express your support for this amendment. The most important points are (thanks to Buckeye Firearms for this):

1) Establish a clear standard for what constitutes a "loaded firearm."

2) Provide protection from confiscation of firearms during disasters and other emergencies.

3) Allow lawful carry of firearms in establishments with a class D6 liquor permit (includes Kroger, Wal-Mart, etc.)

4) Make changes to the notification of officers by CHL holders.

NRA Annual Meeting in Louisville

Last weekend, I attended the NRA Annual Meeting in Louisville - lots of great gear, big crowds, userful seminars, and good speeches. I thought folks might like to see the program for the Leadership Forum, held on Friday afternoon. Click here. Note the very impressive line-up of speakers and the tribute to a great American on the back cover.

Big Push Needed for "Castle Doctrine"!

The Criminal Justice Committee of the Ohio House is still considering the House version of "Castle Doctrine" legislation, already passed by the Ohio Senate as Senate Bill 184 . This committee could be voting on amendments this week. Many of these amendments are friendly to firearm owners, some are not. I urge you to contact your State Representative and ask him or her to support the self-defense-friendly amendments, to reject the bad amendments, and to act on "Castle Doctrine" now! You can find your State Representative here. You can read more about this here.

CBS News Covers Cowboy Action

We often criticize the media for their portrayal of shooters, generally for good reason, but we should also acknowledge when they show shooting sports in positive light. The CBS Evening News recently had a piece on Cowboy Action Shooting in Arizona that was positive and informative. You can watch it here (after a short commercial).

Chance to Comment on Concealed Carry in National Parks

The U.S Government is accepting comments from citizens on the proposed change in regulations that will allow legal concealed carry of firearms in National Parks and other areas administered by the Interior Department. You can read more about it here. You can submit your comments here.

Committee Passes Ohio House Bill 450

The Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee has passed House Bill 450. The bill's primary sponsor is Representative Goodwin of Defiance. I testified on behalf of this bill last month. The bill will now be considered by the full House of Representatives. 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.

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.