Date: Wed, 1 Mar 1995 23:53:39 -0500
From: alerts@gatekeeper.nra.org (NRA Alerts)
To: firearms-alert@shell.portal.com
Subject: ALERT: OH - Right-to-Carry Bills Need Your Phone Calls


March 1, 1995

               OHIO GUN OWNERS LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

     Because of your hardwork -- with numerous telephone calls and
letters -- momentum continues to build in the State House of
Representatives for legislation allowing law-abiding citizens the
right to carry a firearm concealed while away from home.  While
Representative Mike Fox has introduced a good bill on this
important subject -- House Bill 121 -- Rep. Fox has decided to
throw his support behind an excellent right to carry bill being
drafted by Representative Marilyn Reid.  This bill is expected to
be unveiled in the next two to three weeks.  The search for
additional co-sponsors in addition to Rep. Fox is the focus now.  

     Call your voice in the State House of Representatives and urge
that person to sign up as a cosponsor of Rep. Marilyn Reid's right
to carry bill.  While it has not yet been assigned a bill number it
is widely known as the Reid Right to Carry Bill.  CALL TODAY!!

     In addition, take time from your busy schedule to contact your
State Senator and urge him/her to support enactment of a strong
"shall issue" right to carry bill in 1995!  Senate Bill 68 --
sponsored by Senator Joseph Vukovich -- is a "may issue" proposal
which needs serious amending to satisfy the concerns of law-abiding
gun owners.  Senator Vukovich should be thanked for stepping to the
forefront of this critical issue but he does need to hear from you
that in its current form the bill is unacceptable.  For example, in
addition to the "may issue" provision which means that even after
you meet all of the criteria established in the bill for the
issuance of the permit you can still be denied -- the issuing
authority "may issue" or they "may not" -- you can be denied on the
grounds of lacking "good moral character" which is not defined
under the proposal.  To those officials who do not want to see
right to carry permits issued, who are anti-gun, this provision
could be stretched -- and has been stretched in other states -- to
cover persons who have received parking tickets.  The bill also
states that a person has to demonstrate that they are "competent in
handling a firearm" however, competent is not defined and again
could be a provision which the anti-gunners could use to deny
permits.  For instance, what if competence is defined as cutting a
target dead-center from 500 yards with the .38 you want to carry? 
How about dead center 10 straight times from 1,000 yards?  If the
terms are not defined -- how do you think the law will be enforced? 
It is too big a risk to take.  Law-abiding gun owners want
legitimate, specifically defined criteria in any right to carry
bill that passes.  It must be a system designed to work for all --
those who live in anti-gun areas as well as those who live in pro-
gun areas.  Also, the bill would allow the state Attorney General
to set a fee for the conducting of a criminal background check as
part of the application process.  Does one really have to speculate
about the type of fee Lee Fisher would set should he ever be
elected Attorney General again?  What about one of Fisher's
supporters?  Again, the threat of a bad bill is just as great as a
continuation of the current non-system in Ohio.  Together, we can
get a good bill enacted in 1995.  But we can not just settle for
anything.  

     The Florida statute which has worked extremely well, as well
as those in roughly 25 other states, are "shall issue."  This means
that after you meet all of the requirements set out in law you
"shall" be issued the permit -- meet the requirements and no
additional impediments can be invented by anti-gunners to delay or
deny the issuance.  That's what Ohioans deserve.  That's what we
are fighting for.