Free Republic

April 8, 2012, marked the anniversary of a law that affects the lives of more than 270,000 Buckeyes. Ohio’s concealed-handgun license law turned 8 years old on that Sunday afternoon. Notably absent from the festivities were blood in the streets, Wild West reenactments and an epidemic of accidental gun injuries. To understand the significance of this event and why today it seems completely unremarkable, simply Google “Ohio concealed carry 2003” and prepare to be astonished. • “The widespread carrying of concealed handguns, however, will result in far more cases of senseless killings that occur simply because a loaded gun was...

Interesting weekend. I drove up to a little place called Bismarck, Arkansas. I go up there a lot, buddy of mine is camp host at a Boy Scout camp there. We camp right on Lake Degray, it is a beautiful area just south of Hot Springs. My buddy is sort of a joker, here is my story … We get there Friday afternoon, talk to my bud, drive down to our camp spot and start making camp. Haven’t been there 10 minutes when a Hot Springs county deputy sheriff comes rolling up. I’ve seen LEOs out there maybe once before...

Without debate, the Texas Senate today approved a bill to allow lawmakers to carry concealed handguns anywhere, even in places where average Texans cannot. At a time when legislation allowing concealed-handgun license holders to carry their pistols inside buildings on university and college campuses is stalled, and may not pass, Senate Bill 905 was approved 25-6 in just a matter of minutes. Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, said the measure that would allow legislators, statewide elected officials, some former legislators and some state employees to carry their concealed weapons in bars, churches and hospitals and at sporting events and other places...

MEDFORD, Ore. - Two lawsuits involving the Jackson County Sheriff's Office are costing the county more than $50,000, according to numbers released this week by the Medford Mail Tribune newspaper. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Winters must pay more than $40,000 in legal fees in a case involving concealed handgun permit holder information.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Omaha will likely be forced to stop requiring those with concealed-carry gun permits to register their firearms with the city. On Thursday, lawmakers gave final approval to a bill (LB817) that would stop the practice in Omaha. Gov. Dave Heineman must now decide whether to sign the measure. The approval of the bill follows an opinion from Attorney General Jon Bruning's office that Omaha has been violating state law by forcing people who have permits to carry concealed guns to also register their guns...

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) - Lawmakers in Maine, home to one of the nation's most-visited national parks, are considering whether to override a new federal law that allows guns in the sanctuaries. A law that took effect Monday lets licensed gun owners take firearms into national parks and wildlife refuges - provided state law doesn't say otherwise. No states have laws that supersede the new policy, officials say. The Maine bill would outlaw guns in Acadia National Park and the St. Croix Island International Historic Site...

SALT LAKE CITY — As gun rights bills flow through the Legislature, a new poll shows Utahns support gun owners displaying their weapons if they feel threatened. Sixty-five percent of respondents favor HB78, according to a Deseret News/KSL-TV poll conducted by Dan Jones & Associates, while 30 percent oppose the idea. The poll has a margin of error of 5 percent. The survey of 410 Utahns also revealed that more educated and wealthier respondents were less likely to support the proposal. Mirroring legislative debates, 70 percent of Republicans favored the bill while 56 percent of Democrats indicated support. HB78, which...

·11250 Waples Mill Road ·   Fairfax, Virginia 22030    ·800-392-8683   Governor Signs Delaware Right-to-Carry Reform Bill!   Tuesday, February 23, 2010   Please Thank the Governor Today!NRA-ILA is happy to report that Governor Jack Markell (D) has signed House Bill 258 into law.HB258 will extend the validity of a concealed carry permit from 2 years to 3 years for initial licenses and 3 years to 5 years for renewal licenses. Thank you to all of the NRA members who answered the call to action in support of HB258.  This victory would not have been possible without you.Please contact Governor Markell and thank...

Just wondering if any Freepers have tried this jacket for concealed carry. Any feed back would be helpful. Thanks. http://licensed2carry.com/product_info.php?cPath=142&products_id=179&osCsid=fbc2eef5664ff1e742717af78b150727

Dressed in jean capris and blue slip-on Keds, Melva Worley just got out of a piano lesson. But inside her cotton canvas tote bag, there isn't a book of sheet music; there's a 38 caliber revolver and a box of shells. Worley doesn't look like the typical shooter who would walk into Hole in the Wall gun range, but she isn't the lone woman doing it these days. In fact, the McAllen practice range and store has been seeing two to three new female customers a month, according to Manny Treviño, who has helped run the practice range and store...

Texas Campus Carry needs your help. We need to convince members of the house and senate calender committees to legally carry their firearm on campus. Remember, a CHL holder has to be 21 years of age* and have a clean record with no felonies at all. That means that very few on campus are even eligible to carry. If you want to help please follow the link for more instructions or you can call these numbers to voice your support. You can also visit http://www.studentsforconcealedcarryoncampus.com/ for more information. House Calendars Committee Chair: Rep. Brian McCall (512) 463-0594 Vice Chair: Rep....

Contrary to the anti gun claims of "shootouts" at every car accident and a return to the Wild West, the advent of concealed legal handgun carry has come faster than many people thought that it ever would. Being among the first to liberalize handgun laws, the state of Florida opened a veritable floodgate of changes in almost every state's laws to allow concealed carry. Of the 18 million Floridians, over 1 million have concealed carry permits. Permit holders in Florida are the usual law abiding people found in the general population of licensees, and the bane of criminals. God forbid...

·11250 Waples Mill Road ·   Fairfax, Virginia 22030    ·800-392-8683   Obama Administration Halts Pending Bush Regulations   Friday, January 23, 2009   NRA-ILA has received many recent inquiries regarding the new Obama administration's order to all federal agencies and departments to halt all pending regulations until incoming administration staff can review those regulations.  In particular, members are concerned about the order's impact on the new rule governing the concealed carrying of firearms in national parks.In a statement issued only hours after Obama took office, the White House said, "This afternoon, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel signed a memorandum sent...

The right to bear arms is more than a Constitutional right: every human being has the natural unalienable right to self-defense. Cicero said 2,000 years ago, “If our lives are endangered by plots or violence or armed robbers or enemies, any and every method of protecting ourselves is morally right.” The U.S. Constitution, the constitutions of 44 states, common law, and the laws of all 50 states recognize the right to use arms in self-defense. Right to carry laws respect the right to self-defense by allowing individuals to carry concealed firearms for their own protection. So many liberal politicians and...

MT Representative Krayton Kerns (R-Laurel) is proposing a bill that he says is much more effective than the proposed "Castle Doctrine" legislation (see story).In addition to protecting yourself at home, Kerns' bill would allow a conceal-carry in Montana towns and would also allow for gun protection in the work place.Kerns says the other bills do not address all the issues: ""Those bills are very weak and they don't really accomplish much. They're a feel-good, pro-gun bill. We won't hinder gun rights by passing those bills, but we won't advance them a heck of a lot either. They're frosting. They're fluff."Kerns' bill...

A woman was shot by a police officer and two civilians after she walked into a northwest Houston office building and shot a man with a bow and arrow Monday afternoon, authorities said. Witnesses told investigators Julie Parker, 30, came into the Texas Components Corp.. office in the 1600 block of West Sam Houston Parkway with a bow and arrow and what appeared to be a handgun about 3 p.m., said Houston Police Department Sgt. John Chomiak.

Email Address: Sigman@kbtx.com They're small, hidden, pack a powerful punch, and permit holders can carry them most places in Texas. However, when it comes to handguns, a college campus isn't one of those places. "That's in my opinion, a big problem," said Matthew Rogers. Rogers started Texas A&M's chapter of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. "All we're asking is that you allow us to make that choice. If I can legally carry somewhere else, allow me to make the decision whether or not I want to carry here on campus," said Rogers. At least one person in the Texas...

ST. LOUIS — Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe's neighborhood has seen nine homicides in 10 months this year, more than all but one other section of the city. With gunplay wreaking havoc on his ward, Troupe thinks he has found an answer: citizens arming themselves. The alderman is pleading with constituents to get guns of their own — and learn how to use them. Troupe, who represents a swatch of north St. Louis, is encouraging residents to apply for concealed weapons permits so they can start carrying a firearm. The city's new police chief, among others, worries that introducing even more...

Budget hike allows bureau to catch up on overdue revocations and suspensions Scores of concealed weapon permit holders were able to carry their guns for months after they should have had their licenses suspended or revoked for crimes ranging from unspecified felonies to drunken driving. The problem wasn't fixed until the second half of 2007 when the state Bureau of Criminal Identification received a budget hike and hired four additional investigators. Those new staffers helped the agency to clear a huge backlog of shelved enforcement actions. The result was a dramatic spike in revocations and suspensions of concealed-carry permits. They...

Like a lot of people down here in Texas, I keep a gun close at hand. This usually means one in my vehicle and one on my person. I’ve kept one in my vehicle for nearly two decades and one on my person since 1998, when I got my first concealed carry permit. It’s hard to beat the protection that my concealed carry permit affords my family and friends, even if they aren’t armed. The fact that I am armed means they are safer when with me whether they realize it or not; and everything from annual FBI crime numbers...

AUSTIN — Gov. Rick Perry, mulling ways to stop the kind of murderous rampages that recently left 33 dead on a college campus in Virginia, said Monday there’s one sure-fire solution he likes: allow Texans to take their concealed handguns anywhere. Period. Perry said he opposes any concealed gun-toting restrictions at all — whether it’s in a hospital, a public school, a beer joint or even the local courthouse. “The last time I checked, putting a sign up that says 'Don’t bring your weapons in here,' someone who has ill intent on their mind — they could care less," Perry...

News Patterson eCards Now Online! Using web campaigning in new ways 2006-10-04 | by MDL Jerry Patterson campaign ecards are once again available online! Similar to the emailable photo messages available during his 2002 campaign, the new ecards are now ready to send from votepatterson.com. You can choose from several photos of Commissioner Patterson, including the famous, or infamous, gun photo used in 2002 which drew national attention. If you would like to email a friend about your support, or opposition to, Commissioner Patterson, visit votepatterson.com/multimedia/ecard/

The Sept. 18 Molly Ivins column lauded former, and now deceased, Texas Gov. Ann Richards. Ivins wrote: "Annie told the Texas Legislature that if it passed a right-to-carry law, she would veto it. They did and she did." Yes, Richards vetoed the law. A few weeks later in Texas, at a Luby's Restaurant, a crazed gunman shot 17 or 19 Texans who were disarmed by Richards' veto, but the same veto did not disarm the crazed gunman. Ivins makes a joke about Richards saying that a Texas woman wouldn't be able to find a handgun in her handbag. Well, there...

The man accused of randomly shooting and killing a 15 year old girl says he didn't mean to do it. Stephen Scott, 18, was arrested on Sunday morning. He's charged with killing an innocent teenager at the James Cayce homes in east Nashville on Saturday night. Stephen Scott says he was aiming the gun at a man who robbed him earlier. But the bullet went through an apartment window at the Cayce homes killing 15 year old Denise Brown. “I didn’t try to shoot that little girl man. I just want everybody to know that man,” said Scott. Police say...

Anymouse saw and talked to Jerry Patterson walking up the road in Crawford. Born in Houston, Texas on November 15, 1946 Jerry Patterson has devoted his life to public service. He served his country as a U.S. Marine for over twenty years and served as state Senator for six. Recently, he has also served as state relations director for the American Red Cross. As State Senator from District 11, Patterson’s major legislative successes included passage of the historic concealed handgun law, a constitutional amendment allowing home equity lending, the state coastal management plan and the creation of the Texas State...

SPRINGFIELD -- Average citizens could carry concealed weapons under two bills that won overwhelming approval in a House committee Tuesday, setting up a rare, full-blown House floor fight over the issue that advocates say will make people safer and critics contend will lead to more gun violence.The move further buttressed the National Rifle Association's strategy to not only blunt Mayor Richard Daley's push for gun-control laws but to take the fight to him with a frontal assault of its own."I'm heartsick," said House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago), a major advocate of gun control. The NRA is on a...

Woman plays defense in men's game By KELLY KURT, Associated Press Writer January 29, 2005 TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Angela Ruggiero would be happy to put off her preparation for the next Olympics for another shot at playing in a men's professional hockey match. The two-time Olympian became the first woman to make more than a token appearance at a position other than goalie in a U.S. men's professional hockey game, playing defense and getting an assist Friday night for the Tulsa Oilers of the Central Hockey League. Ruggiero said Title IX, the federal law that bars sex discrimination in...

How chasing the ''gun guy'' image is hurting Kerry in swing states Date: Friday, October 22 @ 17:21:23 EDT Topic: National Politics By Chad D. Baus Since the Democrat party has based its entire hate-Bush campaign on Michael Moore conspiracy theories, I would like to offer up one more theory for them to chew on: The Clintonistas John Kerry hired in September to rescue his campaign want Hillary to run in '08, and they are using the gun issue to sabotage John Kerry in swing states. Though some Democrats have no trouble believing that President Bush is personally going to...

As security fears increase, police and sheriffs have issued 28% more permits for concealed weapons statewide since 2000. The number of California residents who can legally carry a gun has surged 28% since 2000, reaching the highest level in decades following a spike in applications after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, new state figures show. California sheriffs and police chiefs had issued more than 45,000 concealed weapon permits by the end of 2003, up about 10,000 in three years, including steep increases in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties, according to the state Department of Justice. Of California's 58 counties,...

There are 2 other versions of this bill.   GPO's PDF Display Congressional Record References Bill Summary & Status Printer Friendly Display - 8,332 bytes.[Help] Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 (Engrossed as Agreed to or Passed by House) 108th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 218AN ACTTo amend title 18, United States Code, to exempt qualified current and former law enforcement officers from State laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed handguns. HR 218 EH 108th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 218 AN ACT To amend title 18, United States Code, to exempt qualified current and former law enforcement officers...

DEBATES OVER whether citizens should be allowed to carry concealed handguns always seems to end up with fearful stories about what might happen. We hear horror stories about how permit holders might endanger the lives of others and of shootouts in the streets. But within a year, all the fuss dies away. No state that has adopted a right-to-carry law has rescinded it, and for good reason. New Hampshire, whose original right-to-carry law was adopted in 1923, is an old hand at dealing with these fears. Yet, in seeking to further liberalize its law, many of the old concerns are...

Lawmakers trying to make 3-year-old measure consistent with DNR rules CORRECTION (April 27, 2004): Because of a reporting error Monday, the hometown of state Sen. Ron Jelinek was incorrect. He is from Three Oaks. The Tribune regrets the error. LANSING -- Legislators are again trying to tweak Michigan's 3-year-old concealed weapons law, attempting to clarify its limitations. A Senate bill that would allow people licensed to carry concealed weapons to have them in hunting areas has passed the conservation and outdoor recreation committee. The Senate approved the bill and it is awaiting action in the House. Sens. Michelle McManus, R-Lake...

ASSOCIATED PRESS FRANKFORT - Test scores and other material on file for people with licenses to carry concealed deadly weapons are exempt from public inspection, an attorney general's opinion says. An exemption carved into the Open Records Act prohibits release of identifying information -- other than a paper listing of names of all licensees. The prohibition applies to everyone in the public, including attorneys involved in lawsuits, the opinion by Assistant Attorney General Michelle D. Harrison said. The opinion, legally binding in public-records cases, came in an appeal by Michael Lucas of Pikeville, an attorney in a wrongful-death lawsuit involving...

TOPEKA (AP) - House and Senate negotiators agreed Tuesday on the details of a bill that would allow Kansans to carry concealed handguns, including at the Statehouse. The compromise measure now awaits acceptance - without amendment - by both chambers, which would send it to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and a likely veto. Sebelius has said she would prefer to limit concealed-carry to retired law enforcement officers and would probably not sign more permissive legislation. Approved by the House earlier this month, the bill won Senate passage Friday after being amended to allow concealed weapons in the Capitol and in restaurants...

<p>Patrick and Beverly Shelby were far back in line Monday and had a couple of hours to stand in the early morning sunshine as they waited to apply for permits to carry concealed weapons.</p> <p>The Shelbys were among about 60 congenial early-risers who lined up outside the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department in Hillsboro by 8 a.m., hoping to be the first to complete the application process.</p>

BATAVIA - With the date of Ohio's new concealed carry law quickly approaching, hundreds of people in Clermont County are gearing up to apply for permits to legally carry concealed firearms. "We've given out almost 200 applications today already," Clermont County Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg said Monday, the first day his office made applications available. "People could come by and pick them up." Authorities in other Southwest Ohio counties also are preparing to accommodate the new law, which goes into effect April 8. The application can also be downloaded from the Ohio attorney general's Web site (www.ag.state.oh.us) . A passport-type photo...

One is a fifth-grade teacher, another a stroke victim who walks with a cane. Not exactly the folks you would expect to be packing heat. But both recently took firearms training so they can become eligible to carry a concealed weapon come April. That's when Ohio's new ``concealed carry'' law takes effect -- for those who qualify and are trained. It's not surprising that some Ohioans want to carry guns. But it is surprising to shooting instructors just who some of those people are. Bob Campbell is one of the unlikely students. The 64-year-old Mantua man suffered a stroke five...

The Feb. 13 Point of View column by Dr. Greg Bachhuber -- "Concealed-carry laws place guns into hands of unskilled people" -- (and your newspaper's editorial as well) contains all the misinformation and mistrust that every opponent of concealed-carry believe. The problem is it just isn't true. The fact that concealed-carry laws have a 10-plus-year record that is open and available to the public in most states refutes the worries he expressed. The consensus is that at worst there is no harm done by these laws, and at best crime decreases, up to 8 percent in a few studies. Let's...

MADISON, Wis. — Republicans vowed Wednesday to oust from office those who helped defeat a bill to let Wisconsin residents carry concealed weapons. They also promised to introduce a new, leaner version of the bill next year. The rhetoric reflected a bitter rift in the Legislature over the proposal to lift Wisconsin's 134-year-old ban on concealed weapons. The schism has grown deeper after the state Assembly sustained Gov. Jim Doyle's veto of the legislation Tuesday, failing by one vote to get the two-thirds needed for an override. Sen. Dave Zien, R-Eau Claire, one of the plan's authors, warned lawmakers who...

Instructors arrange class after Ohio adopts concealed-carry law Associated Press AUSTINBURG - Instructors are getting a quick jump on Ohio's new law allowing people to carry concealed weapons. ``Welcome to the 46th state that allows concealed carry,'' John Bailey, a National Rifle Association certified firearms instructor, told eight students as they began a two-day, 16-hour weekend course on Saturday. ``This course is a self-defense course. It could save your life,'' he said. Bailey and two other instructors arranged the course to coincide with Ohio's concealed carry legislation signed into law Thursday by Gov. Bob Taft. County sheriffs will issue the...

SANTA FE (AP) - The state Supreme Court on Monday let stand a new law that allows New Mexicans to be licensed to carry loaded, concealed handguns. The court without comment rejected a challenge to the constitutionality of the law filed by a children's advocacy group and a physician. "I think this will be a more dangerous place for children and other living beings," David Campbell, the lawyer representing New Mexico Voices for Children, said after the ruling. The five-member issued its decision after hearing arguments in the case, then deliberating behind closed doors for about a half hour. Chief...

VERMILION - Ron and Betty Wise haven't agreed on everything during their 40 years of marriage. ``I think this is the most stupid thing I've heard of in my whole life,'' said Betty Wise, as her husband stood next to her smiling. ``I think it's a great idea,'' he said. The source of the dispute was an unusual demonstration calling for legalizing concealed weapons in Ohio. For two hours Saturday, about 70 men and women wearing name tags and holstered handguns walked the streets of the historic Harbour Town district of Vermilion to dramatize their support for legislation allowing Ohioans...

<p>A decision today by a St. Louis judge leaves intact his ruling that has Missouri's concealed gun law on hold at least until the state Supreme Court takes up the matter next month.</p> <p>Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer rejected claims the concealed carry law violates the state's Hancock Amendment. Opponents of the law claim the law violates the spending-limit amendment because the Legislature failed to appropriate money for its implementation.</p>

(CNSNews.com) - A pro-gun group is urging Ohio Gov. Bob Taft to sign a bill that would allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed weapons. The bill isn't perfect, said Ohioans for Concealed Carry, but nevertheless, the group believes it will serve as a deterrent to violent crime. "Ohio's defenseless citizens deserve a law that will allow them the same right to survive a criminal encounter as citizens in every bordering state, and 44 [states] across the nation now enjoy," said Ohioans for Concealed Carry in a press release. The group points to a series of recent carjacking incidents in Ohio...

Madison - Gov. Jim Doyle's veto of a concealed weapons bill Tuesday shot the emotional issue back to four Senate Democrats, who will decide whether the Senate takes the first step toward overriding the governor. Concealed Weapons Bill Photo/Elizabeth Flores With law-enforcement officers behind him, Gov. Jim Doyle announces in Dane County on Tuesday that he has vetoed concealed-carry legislation. What's Next The State Senate will vote, probably in December, on whether to override the concealed-carry veto. A two-thirds vote of the 33 senators is required to do so. The original Senate vote to pass the bill was 24-8. If...

AUSTIN -- Gov. Rick Perry signed into law Friday a controversial bill that will allow anyone with a concealed handgun license to walk into a city council meeting -- and many other local government buildings -- with a handgun. The measure drew considerable protest and prompted Houston Mayor Lee Brown to write Perry asking the governor to veto Senate Bill 501. The legislation was among nearly 600 bills signed into law Friday, most of which don't take effect until Sept. 1. Perry also vetoed at least 42 bills Friday. ---snip---The National Rifle Association applauded Perry's approval of the concealed handgun...

Texas freepers: please call the Texas governor's office and voice your support for the CHL correction bill awaiting his signature (SB501). This amendment and clarification to our CHL law will allow the 230,000 CHL licensees in Texas the right to carry concealed in municipal and other town offices. It takes just a minute to call the Texas Governor's Citizen's Opinion Hotline at 800-252-9600. ********************************************* "Arms discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property . . . Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them."...

June 5, 2003, 11:23PM Brown asks governor to veto gun bill By MATT SCHWARTZ Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Houston Mayor Lee Brown sent a letter to Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday, urging him to veto a bill that would strip the city of its ability to enforce a ban on legally concealed handguns from its facilities. City and county officials continued to grapple with the potential effects of the bill Thursday and were unable to say what, if any, changes in security it could spur. Both City Hall and the Harris County Administration Building have signs at all entrances warning...

June 5, 2003, 9:04AM Recently passed bill ends gun ban at city facilities By MATT SCHWARTZ Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle Smiley N. Pool / ChronicleA sign at Houston City Hall warns against carrying weapons. Starting Sept. 1, citizens may be able to bring more than their ire to City Hall. They could bring a gun. City and county parks, libraries and police stations, as well as other government facilities, would all be open to people carrying legally concealed handguns under a bill awaiting Gov. Rick Perry's signature. The bill is among about 1,200 still under legal and policy review by...