2014 - The Year In Review

While there is far too much to cover in a single article, we reflect on some of the important events of 2014.

January:

The year begins with a national Reason-Rupe poll showing that 63% of Americans believe stricter gun control laws would not work to prevent criminals from getting guns, and that only 40% believe a so-called "univesal background check" gun registration scheme is necessary. A separate Econmist/YouGov poll released later in the month show the household gun ownership on the rise in U.S. The polls disprove gun control extremists' claims over the year since the Sandy Hook massacre that there is overwhelming demand for new gun control laws.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation announces NRA News' Cam Edwards as keynote speaker at the 2014 Buckeye Bash. The event quickly sells out.

U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang declares the City of Chicago's ban on the sale and transfer of firearms unconstitutional. The ruling follows other positive rulings for gun owners. In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Chicago's long-standing gun ban. And in 2013, Illinois legislators were forced by a federal appeals court to adopt a law allowing residents to carry concealed weapons in Illinois, the only state that had still banned the practice.

FBI data reveals shows more background checks were conducted in 2013 firearm purchases in Ohio than ever before.

U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) signs on as an original cosponsor of the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2014, legislation introduced by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) which would allow individuals with concealed carry privileges in their home state to exercise those rights in any other state that also has concealed carry laws.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig makes nationa news when he suggests that allowing more law-abiding citizens to obtain concealed carry licenses will reduce crime.

In the wake of passage of draconian gun control laws in the state, Colorado-based Magpul Industries, a manufacturer of popular AR-15 ammunition magazines and accessories, announces that it will move its corporate headquarters to Texas and its manufacturing operations to Wyoming.

An internal email provided to Buckeye Firearms Association by a confidential source reveals that Civitas Media, which owns some 88 newspapers across the country, has discussed the use of "public records act requests" to "build state-by-state databases that list those who have the right to carry" firearm licenses. The story goes viral after being picked up by DailyCaller.com and DrudgeReport.com (and even VoiceofRussia.com), and was soon posted as the top story FoxNews.com. Within 24 hours, Civitas announces that it has scrapped its plans, claiming that the email was little more than an idea discussed in a "poorly crafted internal memo."

The Ohio House passes HB 8, a bill intended to, among other things, clarify the right of local boards of education to enact safety plans which include the authorization of concealed handgun license-holders, and to specify that those plans may be considered part of the school safety plan and thus not be part of the public record.

February:

The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) announces preliminary recommendation is for about 200 hours of training - more than five times more than law enforcement - before they would recommend someone be allowed to carry a concealed weapon on school property under changes proposed in HB 8. Buckeye Firearms Association notes concerns about any training requirement that is so high as to preclude schools from actually being able to participate, and restates our commitment to ensuring that the legislature not make it harder for local boards of education to take the steps they believe they need to take to ensure the safety of their students.

Buckeye Firearms Association hosts an event to help educate lawmakers on the benefits of noise suppressors, and to help bust the Hollywood myth that suppressed guns are so silent they could help criminals "sneak around undetected." The lawmakers attend the fact-finding event in order to become better educated in advance of a vote on House Bill 234 (Allow Noise Suppressors While Hunting), which has already had three hearings in the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation is named the #1 NRA Recruiter for 2013, setting a new Club category record after recruiting more than 1600 NRA members.

The ODNR Division of Wildlife announces that certain straight-walled cartridge rifles will be allowed for deer hunting in 2014. SWC has been an important initiative for BFA leadership and volunteers.

During a Q & A with the Oberlin College Democrats club, Ohio Democrat gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald promotes banning private transfers of firearms.

Athens County Sheriff Pat Kelly, who just weeks before made headlines for refusing to renew some current concealed handgun license-holders, is indicted by a grand jury on 25 counts, including theft, money laundering, corruption, and tampering with evidence.

In his State of the Union address, President Obama announces that he intends to press his anti-gun agenda "with or without Congress."

Buckeye Firearms Association launches a more user-friendly "responsive" website, allowing users to view it on any size device from smart phones to desktops and featuring simpler navigation to let visitors find what they're looking for quickly.

In a 2-1 ruling, a three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals strikes down California highly-restrictive concealed carry rules.

CNN announces that it is ending anti-gun British journalist Piers Morgan's prime-time talk show amidst dismal ratings.

President Obama nominates a rabidly anti-gun doctor to be the next U.S. surgeon general. Dr. Murthy is the 36-year-old president and co-founder of Doctors for America, a group that advocates for Obamacare and gun control laws. Democrats in the Senate almost immediately put a hold on the nomination, worrying that voting for the gun ban extremists could effect the outcome of close election year battles.

March:

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announces that 2013 saw a record 89% increase in Ohio concealed handgun licenses issued.

Poughkeepsie, NY Mayor John Tkazyik has confirmed what readers of BuckeyeFirearms.org have known for quite some time - billionaire Michael Bloomberg's "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" is after far more than just "bring[ing] attention to the problem of illegal guns." He writes that MAIG has "become a vehicle for Bloomberg to promote his personal gun-control agenda — violating the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens," and that "that under the guise of helping mayors facing a crime and drug epidemic, MAIG intended to promote confiscation of guns from law-abiding citizens."

Despite placing increasing on Facebook (and its associated platform, Instagram) to prohibit any online content that references the private sale of firearms, MAIG fails to accomplish their goal of convicing the social networking giant to ban the free speech rights of millions of law-abiding gun owners.

HB 234 (Allow Noise Suppressors While Hunting) passes out of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.

One of the most draconian gun control laws in the nation goes into effect in Connecticut. Among other things, the 140-page law bans large classes of firearms and magazines that had been obtained lawfully by tens of thousands of Connecticut residents.

"A+" -rated anti-gun California State Senator Leland Yee, a San Francisco Democrat, is arrested by the FBI for firearms traffickiing.

April:

Buckeye Firearms Association PAC (BFA-PAC) announces endorsements for a host of local, statewide and federal offices in the May 6, 2014 primaries.

The Ohio House of Representatives passes HB 234 (Allow Noise Suppressors While Hunting) with a 76-15 vote and sends the bill to the Senate for consideration.

An Iraq war veteran who suffers from mental health issues opens fire on fellow service members at Fort Hood, killing three and injuring 16 before turning the gun on himself. The attack comes just two days after Fox News reported that the FBI is searching for a recent Army recruit believed to be planning a "Fort Hood-inspired jihad against U.S. soldiers." Just as they had been in November 2009, when Maj. Nidal Hasan killed 13 and injured 30 at Fort Hood, the soldiers were all disarmed by U.S. military policy.

WOIO, Cleveland's CBS affiliate, obtains a memo distributed to all Cleveland police officers advising them on the fact that open carrying a handgun is a legal activity in the state of Ohio.

Ohioans marks the tenth anniversary of concealed carry in the Buckeye State. Hundreds of gun owners, elected officials and other nationally-known pro-gun acitivists join together to mark the anniversary at Buckeye Firearms Foundation's 2014 Buckeye Bash.

Buckeye Firearms Association Vice President Linda Walker is re-elected to the National Rifle Association's Board of Directors.

The Ohio Wildlife Council approves new white-tailed deer hunting regulations, allowing hunters to use straight-walled cartridge rifles during the 2014 deer-gun week. This marks the culmination of an effort by Buckeye Firearms Association volunteers spanning several years.

75,267 people attend the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Indianapolis, IN.

Billionaire bully Michael Bloomberg announces that he will shell out $50 million and fold his groups, Mayors Against Illegal Guns (from which dozens of mayors had recently resigned after discovering the groups' gun ban agenda) and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, into yet another astroturf gun control group called Everytown for Gun Safety. Bloomberg tells the New York Times the goal of his group is to "make [state and local legislators] afraid of us." A pro-gun rights activist notices that the people running Bloomberg's $50 million "Everytown" campaign had forgotten to secure a Facebook page - and created one himself, using it to show what REAL gun safety is. The page accumulates more than 20,000 fans in just a couple of days before threats from Bloomberg lawyers got the page shut down. Dozens of pro-gun state-level pages pop up all over the country.

May:

Buckeye Firearms Association endorses Senate Bill 338, which seeks to make improvements to Ohio’s concealed carry rules and for many people that carry firearms.

The U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear an appeal in a case concerning the Second Amendment and bearing arms for self-defense outside the home, rejecting without comment the case of Drake, et al. v. Jerejian. The case challenged New Jersey’s law regarding concealed carry. Under that law, a person applying for a license to carry a concealed firearm must prove a “justifiable need” to even be considered, and can still be denied at the whim of local law enforcement. The “justifiable need” provision requires that the person prove "specific threats or previous attacks demonstrating a special danger to applicant's life that cannot be avoided by other means."

Buckeye Firearms Foundation announces that there are approximately 30 Ohio school districts that have authorized persons to carry firearms in their schools. The Foundation launches an initiative to put a trauma kit in every school building in Ohio, and the Sidney (OH) City School District is the first to express its intention to participate in the program.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine releases concealed handgun license numbers for the first quarter of 2014. Record demand for CHLs continues.

The Ohio Senate Civil Justice Committee holds multiple hearings on SB 338 (Concealed Carry Law Reform) and HB 234 (Allow Noise Suppressors While Hunting).

Potential 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D) is quoted as saying "I think that we've got to rein in what has become an almost article of faith that anybody can have a gun anywhere, anytime." Clinton also says that when it comes to guns, “I think again we’re way out of balance, and I don’t believe that is in the best interest of the vast majority of people.”

News of Operation Choke Point, an FDIC program designed to intimidate financial institutions who do business with so-called "high-risk" businesses, including those who sell or manufacture firearms, reaches the mainstream.

A mentally-deranged man goes on a killing spree in California, using a knife to kill his first three victims, and also hitting two people with his car. But only one tool used by the killer gets any blame by anti-gun politicians and the establishment media - the handgun.

HB 454 (Rule Modification for Concealed Carry in School Zones) is passed out of the House Education Committee on a 16-3 vote.

June:

The Ohio Senate Civil Justice Committee hold hearings on SB 338 (Concealed Carry Law Reform) and HB 234 (Allow Noise Suppressors While Hunting), but the Senate leaders aren't willing to commit to passing pro-gun rights legislation in the Republican-controlled Senate before the "lame duck" session that will convene after the November elections.

In a landmark settlement, Feld Entertainment, Inc., operator of the Ringling Brothers Circus, recovers $15.75 million in attorney fees from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and their codefendants. The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed against Feld Entertainment in 2000 alleging mistreatment of federally protected Asian elephants. HSUS was found to have been secretly compensating the key witness that helped them prove "standing" to sue, and falsifying information about those payments.

Speaking to users of the blogging platform Tumblr, President Obama praises Australia's confiscation of firearms. Later in the month, his administration's BATFE moves to restrict importation of 5.45 x 39 ammunition.

Two armed school resource officers (SROs) at an Oregon high school are credited with stopping an armed teen less than a minute after he began his attack.

The U.S. Supreme Court releases its 5-4 decision in the case of Abramski v. US, which involved a former police officer, Abramski, who purchased a gun for an uncle in another state. The core issue of this case is whether Abramski or his uncle was the “actual purchaser” of the firearm at the time of the original sale. Five liberal justices found that Abramski lied in the acquisition of a firearm and should be punished for it.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson holds a press conference and announces his plans to enact several "new" gun control measures in his city. BFA President Jim Irvine and Legal Chair Ken Hanson let reporters know in no uncertain terms - if the city passes new gun control in violation of state law, a lawsuit will quickly follow.

July:

The 2014 National Trophy Matches get underway at northern Ohio's Camp Perry.

Mark Glaze, who recently resigned as executive director of Michael Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), admits to the Wall Street Journal that the gun control restrictions MAIG supports are “a mismatch,” where crimes committed by mass murderers are concerned. “It is a messaging problem” for gun control supporters “when a mass shooting happens and nothing that we have to offer would have stopped that mass shooting."

Potential 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D) is quoted as saying of gun control opponents, “We cannot let a minority of people--and that’s what it is, it is a minority of people--hold a viewpoint that terrorizes the majority of people.”

The U.S. Senate fails to pass a vote that would have advanced the Bipartisan Sportsman's Act of 2014. NRA's Institute for Legislative Action's Chris Cox said the NRA was disappointed that the bipartisan Sportsmen's bill had "fallen victim to Sen. Harry Reid's political agenda. By refusing to allow a reasonable amendment process, Sen. Reid effectively killed this legislation."

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson releases the exact language of the "new" gun control measures he had announced were coming at a June press conference. BFA analysis reveals that, as he has so many times before, Mayor Jackson is once again attempting some slight of hand to divert attention from his city's very real crime problems, working to ignore the facts and rely on propaganda.

The Obama administration's Treasury Department bans the import of certain popular Russian firearms via a sanction on Russian gun maker Kalashnikov Concern. In the United States, the manufacturer is best known for its popular Saiga rifles and shotguns.

As a result of gun control legislation passed in Maryland, Beretta U.S.A. Corp., announces that it has decided to move its manufacturing capabilities from its existing location in Accokeek, Maryland to a new production facility that it is building in Gallatin, Tennessee.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation holds the 13th F.A.S.T.E.R. (Faculty/Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response) class in Ohio, announcing that over 300 teachers, administrators, and staff have now completed the training. Later in the month, the Foundation holds the first Level 2 FASTER class.

The ban on carrying of firearms by citizens in the nation’s capitol is struck down by the United States District Court. A federal judge quickly grants 90-day stay.

One year after passage of a draconian gun control law passed in Colorado, the Associated Press reports that "officials have performed only about 13,600 reviews considered a result of the new law -- about 7 percent of the estimated first year total." The article goes on to state, "In total, there were about 311,000 background checks done during the first year of the expansion in Colorado, meaning the 13,600 checks between private sellers made up about 4 percent of the state total." The numbers invalidate the big private transfer or ‘Gun Show Loophole’ myth.

Billionaire bully Michael Bloomberg's newly-minted $50 million astroturf gun control group, Everytown for Gun Safety, releases a commercial which depicts a woman calling 911 as her ex-husband kicks in the door, grabs her child and puts a gun to her head. Rather than coming away with the idea that everything would have turned out ok if only the bad guy didn't have a gun, most viewers, including the typically anti-gun rights panel on ABC's The View, find themselves wishing that the mother in the commercial DID have a gun.

Psychiatrist Lee Silverman shoots a patient who had just killed a caseworker in his Pennsylvania office. Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan is quoted saying, “If the doctor did not have a firearm, (and) the doctor did not utilize the firearm, he’d be dead today, and I believe that other people in that facility would also be dead.”

August:

A 911 caller in Dayton reports that a man was “walking around with a gun” in a Walmart, that he “just put some bullets inside” and was "waving the weapon around” and “pointing it at people.” Beavercreek officers responded, and 22 year-old John Crawford is shot to death. It is discovered that the gun he held was a BB-gun, which media immediately begin falsely describing as "not real," or "fake, or a "toy".

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upholds Florida’s Firearm Owner’s Privacy Act. The law was passed after an escalating series of events in which patients were harassed or denied access to services because they refused to be interrogated by their doctors about their ownership of firearms.

Superior Court Judge Michael Donio declines to dismiss a case for unlawful possession of a firearm against Philadelphia resident Shaneen Allen. Allen was arrested during a traffic stop in October 2013 after she volunteered to the officer that she had a firearm in her car. She mistakenly believed her Pennsylvania license to carry firearms was valid in New Jersey.

Buckeye Firearms Association sheds light on the obscure Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission (OCMC), which is considering "modernizing" the "right to bear arms" section of Ohio's consitution.

The anti-hunting, anti-gun Humane Society of the United States HSUS) files a petition with the Department of the Interior demanding legislation to stop the use of lead-based ammunition on public land.

Billionaire bully Michael Bloomberg's astroturk gun control group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America launches a campaign to try and pressure Kroger into banning guns in its retail outlets. A Kroger release states that "we trust [our customers] to be responsible in our stores."

The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit rules in favor of the firearms classified website Armslist, holding that, as a matter of law, Armslist could not be liable for the criminal acts of a person who illegally acquired a firearm using the Armslist website. The website had been sued by the Brady Center’s Legal Action Project.

A federal court judge upholds a challenge to California's 10-day waiting period for gun purchases, ruling that the "10-day waiting periods of Penal Code [Sections 2861(a) and Sections 27540 (a)] violate the Second Amendment" and "burdens the Second Amendment rights of the plaintiffs".

Ignorant statements by reporters attempting to use the police shooting of a Ferguson, MO man, who had just committed a convenience store robbery and violently attacked a responding officer, to promote gun control and racial tension, culminate with a Twitter post from Huffington Post reporter, Ryan J. Reilly, inquiring if the orange foam ear plugs he had taken a photo of are rubber bullets.

A federal judge in Maryland declares that the state’s ban on AR and AK-pattern rifles and ammunition magazines capable of holding over 10 rounds is not unconstitutional because, she says, these rifles, among the most popular guns in the country, are not “commonly possessed for lawful purposes,” are especially dangerous, and that banning them does not present a significant burden to people wishing to use firearms for self-defense in their homes.

Ohio's 4th District Court of Appeals issues an order authorizing its judges to carry concealed weapons as a security measure, and without the mandatory training. Meanwhile, the Ohio 6th District Court of Appeals overturns a conviction of a Toledo concealed handgun licenseholder who had been found guilty of carrying a concealed weapon—failure to inform a law enforcement officer.

September:

Ohio's 3rd District Court of Appeals rules that Henry Co. Sheriff Michael Bodenbender improperly suspended a man's Ohio concealed handgun license, and orders that it be returned.

As billionaire bully Michael Bloomberg continues attempts to intimidate national corporations into discriminating against a large segment of their customer base who carry guns for self-defense, smaller businesses recognize an opportunity to win over new customers by hanging up the "welcome" signs. More than 57,000 businesses apply to be listed on a website that lists pro-gun businesses.

Buckeye Firearms Association PAC (BFA-PAC) announces its 2014 general election grades and endorsements.

After Buckeye Firearms Association revelation that the obscure Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission's (OCMC) was considering "modernizing" the "right to bear arms" section of Ohio's consitution, the panel reverses course and "a motion was made and seconded to retain the current language of Art. I, § 4 (Bearing Arms; Standing Armies; Military Power), which was unanimously approved via voice vote."

The two-day Buckeye Firearms Foundation Youth Shoot is held, hosting over 100 youth from around the state.

Buckeye Firearms Association's Ken Hanson presents testimony on to the Safety Committee of the Cleveland City council to outline which of Mayor Frank Jackson's proposed gun control ordinances are likely or not likely to pass court review, which are duplicative of state law, and why establishing a gun offender registry is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Attorney General Eric Holder, who last year was held in contempt of Congress for refusing to provide documents regarding his Justice Department's Operation Fast and Furious gun-running scandal, will announces that he will step down once a replacement is named.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation accepts the Top Recruiter Award in the "club" category at the NRA Board Meeting in Arlington, VA. The award recognizes Buckeye Firearm Foundation for recruiting 1,637 NRA members in 2013.

A fundraising email sent out by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, signed by the organization’s President Dan Gross, attempts to fundraise by claiming credit for sporting goods giant Cabela’s expanded participation a gun safety program started by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the ATF more than a dozen years ago. The problem with Gross’s claim is that it simply isn’t true. Brady had no impact on Cabela’s decision to expand their participation in the long-running program, which was made weeks before Brady announced their campaign.

An armed Oklahoma business owner intervenes in an attack by shooting a former employee who had already beheaded one worker and was stabbing another.

October:

The REALIZE Firearms Awareness Coalition announces that its Concealed Carry Fashion Show, held in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, was a tremendous success.

Although Republicans have been in control of the General Assembly and governor's mansion for the past 4 years, no pro-gun rights legislation has been sent to the governor's desk in 3.5 years. That lack of progress shows in the state's fall in Guns & Ammo's ranking of the Best Concealed Carry States from 39th in 2013 to 41st in 2014.

Buckeye Firearms Association announces that Region Leader Sean Maloney will appear on the ballot as a candidate for the 2015 NRA Board of Directors.

"A+" rated 2014 Buckeye Firearms Association PAC endorsee Ron Maag announces that he is holding a 'Machine Gun Social' - a fundraiser involving the opportunity to fire fully-automatic firearms. Gun ban extremists, including his political opponent, throw a tizzy.

Buckeye Firearms Association announces the launch of a Membership Program, offering Second Amendment supporters a new way to support the fight to improve gun rights in Ohio.

Outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder laments that his greatest personal failure as Attorney General is not getting more stringent gun control laws passed.

Buckeye Firearms Association's Sean Maloney heads to Connecticut to help in election effort.

Over 350 people, including concealed handgun license-holders, police, military and educators, gathered to hear Lt. Col. Dave Grossman present his “The Bulletproof Mind: Tactical Mindset for Armed Citizens” lecture and support the Buckeye Firearms Association PAC.

November:

On the eve of the election, Ohio voters receive deceptive robocalls from a supposed "NRA member" claiming that there is a better candidate than Buckeye Firearms Association and NRA- endorsee Mike DeWine for Ohio Attorney General. DeWine, who earned a "B" from Buckeye Firearms Association, goes on to win the election decisively.

Also on the day before the midterm elections, the Department of Justice releases over 64,000 pages of materials pertaining to BATFE’s Operation Fast and Furious, to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Some, including former CBS reporter Sharyl Attkisson who helped break the Fast and Furious scandal, have suggested that the timing of the document dump was timed to ensure the release of the documents would not receive adequate press coverage

Buckeye Firearms Association PAC endorsees are overwhelmingly successful on Election Day 2014. Every BFA PAC statewide endorsee sails to victory. BFA PAC endorsees will also pack the Statehouse for the next General Assembly. Endorsees won 11 of 12 races (91.6%) in the Ohio Senate, and 64 of 74 races (86.5%) in the Ohio House.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation's Jim Irvine and Sean Maloney, along with John Benner of Tactical Defense Institute, offer a presentation entitled “Protecting our children in school” at the Ohio School Board Association (OSBA) Capital Conference.

The Senate Civil Justice Committee resumes hearings on pro-gun bills HB 203 (Concealed Carry & Self-Defense Law Reform), SB 338 (Concealed Carry Law Reform) and HB 234 (Allow Noise Suppressors While Hunting).

Classic Country Outdoors host Calvin Pyle announces that he is retiring as the voice of the outdoorsman. He has been the voice of the sportsman in southwest Ohio for two decades. Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA) leaders were Pyle's special guests for his last concealed carry show, and presented Pyle with an Honorary Lifetime Buckeye Firearms Association membership.

A 12-year-old boy is shot by police after officers say he reached for a gun after he was ordered to put up his hands. Police say the gun that was recovered was not a firearm, but that an orange safety tip had been removed. The media, and anti-gun politicians have been quick to draw parallels to the shooting of a man in a Beavercreek Walmart just a few months ago. In that case, the man had picked up an unboxed air rifle off the store shelves and walked around for several minutes before police arrived, repeatedly shouldering the rifle. As they did after the Beavercreek incident, the media and anti-gun politicians are also mistakenly referring to the gun - either a BB gun or an airsoft gun, depending on which report you read - as a "fake" or a "toy." State Rep. Alicia Reece (D-Cincinnati) announces that she plans to introduce legislation, based off of a recently-passed California gun control law, requiring all BB guns, air rifles and airsoft guns sold in Ohio to be brightly colored or have prominent fluorescent strips.

December:

The Ohio House of Representatives passed Rep. Anne Gonzales' (R-Westerville) House Bill 454, which seeks to correct several problems with current law regarding concealed handgun licenses' behavior in school zones. The bill passed by a 81-2 vote, with Democrats Tracy Heard and Mark Lundy voting no.

The Senate Civil Justice Committee continues hearings on pro-gun bills, eventually amending portions of HB 203 (Concealed Carry & Self-Defense Law Reform), HB 191 (Align Firearms Definitions), SB 338 (Concealed Carry Reform), and HB 454 (Rule Modification for Concealed Carry in School Zones) into a giant substitute HB 234. (Unfortunately, the HB 454 sections were removed before committee passage.) The bill passes in the Senate by a 24 - 6 vote, the House concurs with the changes by a vote of 69-16, and the bill is soon signed into law by Governor John Kasich (R).

The lame-duck Democrat-led U.S. Senate votes to confirm anti-gun activist Vivek Murthy for the post of U.S. Surgeon General with a 51-43 vote.

Several Buckeye Firearms Association leaders and volunteers attend the first Ohio Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus reception held in the Ohio Capitol Atrium.

Buckeye Firearms Association sportsmen leader and outdoor writer Larry Moore and David Linkhart are announced as co-hosts the new Classic Country Radio Outdoor Show.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary, BFA PAC Vice Chairman, and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.