Senate Passes Gun Control-Laden CCW Bill

[WAGCEVP]

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

June 20, 2003


Dear Ohio GOA supporter:

For the second time in six months, the Ohio Senate has taken a bad
concealed carry bill and made it much, much worse.

Earlier this week, Ohio Senators (bent on appeasing the anti-gun
demands of Gov. Bob Taft and numerous organizations opposed to your
right to defend yourself with a concealed firearm) passed Amended
Substitute House Bill 12.

Previously, the Ohio House of Representatives passed H.B. 12 with
restrictive provisions that would permit some Ohioans to get a CCW
license and carry concealed in some locations. The bill was
horrible even then. But the Ohio Senate added massive new
restrictions that guarantee very few Ohioans will ever be able to
carry concealed for self-defense.

Some of the anti-gun provisions now in the bill include:

* A total BAN on carrying in cars if children are passengers.
This is outrageous -- what better reason to carry concealed than
to defend the lives of your children?

* Mandatory fingerprinting of permit holders -- as though they were
convicted sex offenders.

* Onerous training and testing requirements -- to include forcing
you to "prove" yourself whenever you renew the permit.

* A laundry list of No Safety Zones where carrying is banned --
such as all government buildings, all colleges and
universities, any establishment that serves alcohol (even if
the permit holder isn't drinking), all churches and places of
worship unless posted otherwise, any private building or parking
lot that is posted by the owner, and all day care centers.

* Felony penalties for failure to inform a law enforcement officer
that you are carrying -- too bad if you happen to forget to do
so under the stress of finding yourself at the scene of an
accident.

One of the few good things in the original House bill has also been
stripped out of the Senate version. Originally, the bill had what
is known as an Affirmative Defense clause. This meant that if a
person were forced to use a gun in self-defense, he or she could be
protected from anti-gun prosecutors. If the person could prove to
the judge that he or she would have qualified for a CCW permit, that
person couldn't be prosecuted for not having one at the time of the
incident.

H.B. 12 is so incredibly anti-gun at this point that several law
enforcement organizations -- previously highly vocal opponents of
CCW -- have now flip-flopped and are either neutral or outright
supportive of the bill.

That's right. Ohio CCW's most vocal opponents are now more than
satisfied with the anti-gun nature of the bill.

As a result, Governor Bob Taft has indicated he is willing to
sign H.B. 12 into law.

In short: the Ohio Senate has screwed gun owners big-time.

GOA saw this coming and previously warned that the Senate was on a
mission to pass a very dangerous gun control bill disguised as a
so-called "shall issue" concealed carry bill. That is why GOA has
instead promoted H.B. 113, Vermont-style Right to Carry legislation
sponsored by State Representative Tom Brinkman (R-Cincinnati).

Just this month, Alaska passed such a law, proving that gun owners
should always ask for what they want, not settle for what the
politicians say they can get.

A "Vermont-style" concealed carry law in Ohio would restore to
law-abiding gun owners more freedom to protect themselves and their
families with a concealed firearm -- without all of the anti-gun
provisions so prevalent in H.B 12.

There is still a chance to derail H.B. 12's anti-gun freight train.
Since the House and Senate versions of the bill are very different,
a special conference committee will be appointed to iron out the
differences between the two versions.

Many Representatives are already steamed about the Senate trashing
their bill in such a blatant manner. Here is our chance to use
that indignation to fix or kill H.B. 12.

It is very important for you to contact your State Representative
IMMEDIATELY and tell him or her them to push the members of the
conference committee to remove all the Senate gun control
restrictions now in the bill.

Here's exactly what you need to do:

E-mail, call and fax your State Representative RIGHT NOW! An Ohio
House roster and pre-written letter are included below for your
convenience.

If you do not know who your State Representative is, at
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/Representatives.jsp you can search
using your zip code. All letters to State Representatives can be
faxed to: 614-644-9494.

Please take the requested action as soon as you finish reading this
alert. The conference committee could send H.B. 12 to the floor
for final passage as early as TODAY.


----- Pre-written message to your State Representative -----

Dear Representative ______________________________:

As your pro-gun constituent, I STRONGLY OPPOSE the Senate version of
H.B. 12 and want you to push the members of its conference committee
to remove all Senate-imposed CCW restrictions from it.

Specifically, I want the conference committee to:

* remove the ban on concealed carry in cars;

* restore the affirmative defense provision found in the original
House version;

* remove the mandatory fingerprinting scheme;

* remove the onerous penalty for not notifying a police officer
when carrying concealed;

* delete the laundry list of No Safety Zones where law-abiding
permit holders are disarmed; and

* remove the stringent requalification training mandate.

If these gun control provisions are not removed from H.B. 12, I
want the bill KILLED, as it is completely unacceptable as passed by
the Senate.

Therefore, should your efforts to pressure the committee not meet
with success, I demand that you vote AGAINST final passage of
H.B. 12.

Gun Owners of America will report to me what you do.

Sincerely,

[WAGCEVP]

Ohio House of Representatives Roster

(If you do not know who your State Representative is, at
http://www.house.state.oh.us/jsps/Representatives.jsp you can search
using your zip code. All letters to State Representatives can be
faxed to: 614-644-9494.)

Dis Name Pty Phone (614 area) E-Mail

01 Blasdel R 466-8022 District01@ohr.state.oh.us
02 Peterson R 644-6711 District02@ohr.state.oh.us
03 Carmichael R 466-1474 District03@ohr.state.oh.us
04 Willamoski R 466-9624 District04@ohr.state.oh.us
05 Schaffer R 466-8100 District05@ohr.state.oh.us
06 Latta R 466-8104 District06@ohr.state.oh.us
07 Jerse D 466-8012 District07@ohr.state.oh.us
08 Mason D 466-5441 District08@ohr.state.oh.us
09 Woodard D 644-5079 District09@ohr.state.oh.us
10 Smith, S D 466-7954 District10@ohr.state.oh.us
11 Key D 466-1414 District11@ohr.state.oh.us
12 DeBose D 466-1408 District12@ohr.state.oh.us
13 Skindell D 446-5921 District13@ohr.state.oh.us
14 Miller, D D 466-3350 District14@ohr.state.oh.us
15 DePiero D 466-3485 District15@ohr.state.oh.us
16 Kilbane R 466-0961 District16@ohr.state.oh.us
17 Trakas R 644-6041 District17@ohr.state.oh.us
18 Patton, T R 466-4895 District18@ohr.state.oh.us
19 Flowers R 466-4847 District19@ohr.state.oh.us
20 McGregor R 644-6002 District20@ohr.state.oh.us
21 Reidelbach R 644-6030 District21@ohr.state.oh.us
22 Hughes R 466-2473 District22@ohr.state.oh.us
23 Wolpert R 466-9690 District23@ohr.state.oh.us
24 Smith, G R 644-6005 District24@ohr.state.oh.us
25 Stewart, D D 466-1896 District25@ohr.state.oh.us
26 Price D 466-8010 District26@ohr.state.oh.us
27 Beatty D 466-5343 District27@ohr.state.oh.us
28 Raussen R 466-8120 District28@ohr.state.oh.us
29 Clancy R 466-9091 District29@ohr.state.oh.us
30 Seitz R 466-8258 District30@ohr.state.oh.us
31 Driehaus D 466-5786 District31@ohr.state.oh.us
32 Barrett D 466-1645 District32@ohr.state.oh.us
33 Yates D 466-1308 District33@ohr.state.oh.us
34 Brinkman R 644-6886 District34@ohr.state.oh.us
35 Schneider R 644-6023 District35@ohr.state.oh.us
36 Setzer R 644-8051 District36@ohr.state.oh.us
37 Husted R 644-6008 District37@ohr.state.oh.us
38 White, J R 466-6504 District38@ohr.state.oh.us
39 Allen D 466-1607 District39@ohr.state.oh.us
40 Strahorn D 466-2960 District40@ohr.state.oh.us
41 Williams, B R 644-5085 District41@ohr.state.oh.us
42 Widowfield R 466-1177 District42@ohr.state.oh.us
43 Taylor, M R 466-1790 District43@ohr.state.oh.us
44 Sykes D 466-3100 District44@ohr.state.oh.us
45 Otterman D 644-6037 District45@ohr.state.oh.us
46 Olman R 466-1731 District46@ohr.state.oh.us
47 Ujvagi D 644-6017 District47@ohr.state.oh.us
48 Brown, E D 466-1401 District48@ohr.state.oh.us
49 Perry D 466-1418 District49@ohr.state.oh.us
50 Hagan, J R 466-9078 District50@ohr.state.oh.us
51 Oelslager R 752-2438 District51@ohr.state.oh.us
52 Cirelli D 466-8030 District52@ohr.state.oh.us
53 Webster R 644-5094 District53@ohr.state.oh.us
54 Jolivette R 644-6721 District54@ohr.state.oh.us
55 Cates R 466-8550 District55@ohr.state.oh.us
56 Kozuira D 466-5141 District56@ohr.state.oh.us
57 Martin R 644-5076 District57@ohr.state.oh.us
58 Walcher R 466-9628 District58@ohr.state.oh.us
59 Carano D 466-6107 District59@ohr.state.oh.us
60 Patton, S D 466-9435 District60@ohr.state.oh.us
61 Boccieri D 466-1464 District61@ohr.state.oh.us
62 Callender R 466-7251 District62@ohr.state.oh.us
63 Young R 644-6074 District63@ohr.state.oh.us
64 Sferra D 466-5358 District64@ohr.state.oh.us
65 Harwood D 466-3488 District65@ohr.state.oh.us
66 Schmidt R 466-8134 District66@ohr.state.oh.us
67 Raga R 644-6027 District67@ohr.state.oh.us
68 Chandler R 466-2004 District68@ohr.state.oh.us
69 Calvert R 466-8140 District69@ohr.state.oh.us
70 DeWine R 644-6020 District70@ohr.state.oh.us
71 Evans, D R 466-1482 District71@ohr.state.oh.us
72 Kearns R 466-2038 District72@ohr.state.oh.us
73 Hartnett D 466-5802 District73@ohr.state.oh.us
74 Buehrer R 644-5091 District74@ohr.state.oh.us
75 Hoops R 466-3760 District75@ohr.state.oh.us
76 Gilb R 466-3819 District76@ohr.state.oh.us
77 Faber R 466-6344 District77@ohr.state.oh.us
78 Seaver D 466-1507 District78@ohr.state.oh.us
79 Fessler R 466-8114 District79@ohr.state.oh.us
80 Redfern D 644-6011 District80@ohr.state.oh.us
81 Wagner R 466-1374 District81@ohr.state.oh.us
82 Reinhard R 644-6265 District82@ohr.state.oh.us
83 Core R 466-8147 District83@ohr.state.oh.us
84 Widner R 466-1470 District84@ohr.state.oh.us
85 Schlichter R 644-7928 District85@ohr.state.oh.us
86 Daniels R 466-3506 District86@ohr.state.oh.us
87 Evans, C R 466-1366 District87@ohr.state.oh.us
88 Niehaus R 644-6034 District88@ohr.state.oh.us
89 Book D 466-2124 District89@ohr.state.oh.us
90 Collier R 466-1431 District90@ohr.state.oh.us
91 Householder R 466-2500 District91@ohr.state.oh.us
92 Stewart, J R 466-2158 District92@ohr.state.oh.us
93 Hollister R 644-8728 District93@ohr.state.oh.us
94 Aslanides R 644-6014 District94@ohr.state.oh.us
95 Dominic D 466-3735 District95@ohr.state.oh.us
96 Wilson D 466-8035 District96@ohr.state.oh.us
97 Gibbs R 466-2994 District97@ohr.state.oh.us
98 Grendell R 644-5088 District98@ohr.state.oh.us
99 Distel D 466-1405 District99@ohr.state.oh.us

[Smokin Guns]

Rat bastards!...actually I thought ...at the least it's a good first step!...'course i've been wrong onc't or twice before...