2018 and Your Gun Rights - 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 2018.

January:

The Justice Department announces that it is seeking input on a proposal by President Trump and the BATFE to ban bump stocks via a reinterpretation of the statutory definition of “machine gun” in the National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act.

Fox News reports that a Democrat-backed study meant to expose illicit online gun sales instead seemed to show the opposite -- with hardly any sellers taking the bait when undercover investigators tried to set up dozens of illegal firearm transactions.

News surfaces of two proposed constitutional amendments backed by the Ohio Community Rights Network and the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund which would, among other things, make it easier to pass local gun control regulations.

Buckeye Firearms Association submits testimony the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee, informing the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee on the problems of Ohio’s current laws on burden shifting in self-defense cases.

A poll released by Fallon Research shows gubernatorial candidates Mike DeWine (R) and Richard Cordray (D) both leading their respective party's races for governor, with DeWine also having a big lead over Cordray in a head-to-head matchup.

The Greene County, Ohio Board of County Commissioners votes to permit concealed carry in some of the county buildings. Before passage of BFA-endorsed SB 199 local government entities were prohibited from making this decision.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine joins a pro-gun amicus brief in a lawsuit challenging California's 10+ magazine ban.

February:

The Ohio Supreme Court has refused to take up the City of Cleveland's appeal of an Eighth District Court of Appeals decision which declared that a Cleveland gun offender registry and several gun regulations first proposed by Mayor Frank Jackson in 2014, and passed by city council in 2015 are unconstitutional. A lower court had already struck down other parts of the law in 2016.

After a one year battle by a concerned citizen, the city of University Heights, Ohio, finally relents and removes four no-gun signs from a city-owned park.

The nephew of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is convicted on a federal weapons charge and sentenced to eight years in prison. The case exposes the impotence of Cleveland gun control laws, many of which were backed by Jackson himself.

Buckeye Firearms Association PAC announces its endorsement of Mike DeWine for Governor and Jon Husted for Lt. Governor in the 2018 Ohio Republican Primary.

The House Committee on Federalism and Interstate Relations continues hearings on HB 228 (Fix Burden of Proof/ Concealed Carry Modernization).

A deranged young man murders 17 people in a Parkland, FL school, which had been designated as a "no-guns" zone. News of numerous failed opportunities for the school and law enforcement to intervene before the attack occurred soon becomes public, as does the failure of a Broward County deputy when he fails to enter the school after the shooting had begun.

In response to the Parkland, FL attack, Ohio Governor John Kasich renews calls for an assault weapons ban, ignoring the fact that he had previously admitted such bans, including the one he voted for in 1994, don't work. Meanwhile, other gun control extremists set up fake "student-led" groups and plan a march on Washington, D.C. to demand additional gun control laws, despite the fact that all the current laws failed to prevent the attack.

President Donald Trump, who had rebranded himself as pro-gun in his 2016 campaign after having previously supported gun control, quickly joins the anti-gun chorus, calling for bans on bump stocks like those reportedly used by the mass murderer in Las Vegas. In typical political "give everyone a little something" fashion, he also voices support for arming teachers (but does nothing to help bring it about.)

Democrat candidates for governor also race to the altar of gun control, with Richard Cordray, Dennis Kucinich and William O'Neill all calling for new restrictions on law-abiding citizens.

Members of the East Guernsey Local Board of Education in Guernsey County, Ohio and Noble Local Schools in Nocle County, Ohio take action to secure added safety for the children of the district, adopting a resolution authorizing the arming of select members of the staff.

Ohio Democrats introduce "assault weapons" ban legislation that would be more appropriately be named the "Ohio Semi-Automatic Firearm Ban and Gun Registration" Act.

March:

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) releases the Concealed Handgun License (CHL) statistics for the fourth quarter of 2017 and the annual report, revealing that more Ohioans than ever - a record 650,000 active CHL’s - are discreetly carrying firearms as they go about their day.

Disgraced former Attorney General Marc Dann (D) admits it was necessary to lie about his support for gun rights in order to get elected.

Ohio-based Kroger, which operates 2,782 grocery stores in 35 states under nearly two dozen banners, announces a virtue-signaling initiative to remove the Assault Weapons magazine category from all their retail locations.

Fortune magazine reports that Dick's Sporting Goods, a company which recently made headlines for having decided (again) to stop selling modern sporting rifles in the wake of the school shooting in Parkland, FL, and for discriminating against military-aged persons under 21 who wish to purchase a firearm, is experiencing "tumbling" stock prices and "deeper than expected" losses.

President Donald Trump Trump does what even President Obama knew was illegal, signing an executive order directing his Attorney General to get the ball rolling on a bump stock ban. (Never mind all of his campaign criticisms of Obama for legislating by executive order.)

April:

The East Knox Board of Education in Knox County, Ohio passes a resolution that gives the superintendent the authority to allow staff members to carry weapons in school.

Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens flat out calls for repealing the 2nd Amendment in a New York Times op-ed.

Citigroup is the latest business to join the virtue signaling crowd, enacting policies to discriminate against persons engaged in lawful activities.

Committees in the Ohio House and Senate continue hearings on HB 228/SB 180 (Fix Burden of Proof/ Concealed Carry Modernization). BFA's Ron Lemieux testifies in support.

Ohioans for Concealed Carry, Ohio Carry, and Buckeye Firearms Association host a Patriots Day Rally at the Ohio Statehouse.

Buckeye Firearms Association announces strong opposition to HB 585 (Kasich Gun Control).

The Ohio Senate approves SB 257, a bill backed by Buckeye Firearms Association, which contains 10 changes to hunting and fishing laws, including multi-year and lifetime hunting and fishing licenses.

The Buckeye Firearms Association Political Action Committee (BFA_PAC) issues primary endorsements for the May 8, 2018 Democratic and Republican primaries.

Seven and a half years into his administration, and desperately seeking a way to get immediate media attention and future presidential campaign fodder for having done "something" about mass killings, Governor John Kasich (R) issues an executive order demanding that government agencies do the job they're already supposed to be doing with regard to background check information.

Kent State University senior Kaitlin Bennett organizes an open carry rally, provoking scorn from the national media.

The Madison Local School District in Middletown, OH joins school districts across the state by implementing a comprehensive safety program that includes an armed response team inside the school.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation hosts a town hall titled Experts Town Hall: Effective Response to Active Killer Events.

May:

Lt. Colonel Oliver North, USMC (Ret.) is announced as the incoming President of the National Rifle Association of America.

Buckeye Firearms Association threatens to sue if Ohio cities bans bump stocks. The cities of Cincinnati and Columbus pass ordinances to ban bump stocks, in violation of Ohio's statewide preemption of local gun control.

An Ohio House commitee continues hearings and eventually passes HB 228 (Fix Burden of Proof/ Concealed Carry Modernization). Another House committee also hears testimony on HB 585 (Kasich Gun Control).

June:

Florida State University criminologist Gary Kleck uncovers prove that the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) buried proof that corroborated his 1990's findings that there were more than 2.2 million such defensive uses of guns (DGUs) in America a year.

Buckeye Firearms Association unveils our brand new website for firearm instructors to promote their gun classes - www.OhioGunClass.org.

Buckeye Firearms Foundation and Ohioans for Concealed Carry file simultaneous lawsuits against the cities of Columbus and Cincinnati over recently introduced ordinances banning the possession, use, or acquisition of so-called "rate-of-fire firearms enhancers," commonly referred to as bump stocks or trigger cranks, citing that these unconstitutional ordinances clearly violate Ohio law.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine sides with BFF/OFCC and asks Franklin County and Hamilton County judges to allow him to join the lawsuits.

Judge David Cain in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas issues a temporary restraining order prohibiting Columbus from enforcing their bump stock ban pending a July hearing on a lawsuit.

House Republicans schedule a vote on HB 228 before summer recess, then back away, chosing instead to hold another hearing on HB 585 (Kasich Gun Control).

July:

81-year old Justice Anthony Kennedy announces that he will be retiring from the United States Supreme Court effective July 31, creating the opportunity for President Trump to appoint a replacement who will help reinvigorate the stalled progress in Second Amendment jurisprudence.

BFA PAC endorses Judge Craig Baldwin and Justice Mary DeGenaro for the Ohio Supreme Court in the November 6, 2018 general election.

Everytown for Gun Safety, co-founded by former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, announces that it will provide free legal assistance to the City of Columbus as it defends its new gun control ordinances against a BFF/OFCC suit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court and will serve as co-counsel on the case.

President Donald Trump nominates Judge Brett Kavanaugh to fill Justice Anthony Kennedy’s seat on the United States Supreme Court.

In response to a suit by BFF/OFCC, Franklin County Common Pleas Court orders a permanent injunction against the City of Columbus, forbidding it from enforcing its ban against so-called "bump stocks."

The Columbus Dispatch reports that more than 200 courts across Ohio have failed to respond to Governor Kasich's executive order seeking more information on their history with the national background check database used in stopping gun-related crimes.

In response to a suit by BFF/OFCC, Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Robert Ruehlman grants a temporary injunction blocking Cincinnati's ill-advised ban on the devices.

President Obama's former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder campaigns in Ohio for Democrat Richard Cordray's gubernatorial campaign.

August:

Former President Barack Obama (D) endorses Democrat Richard Cordray in his bid to win the Ohio governor's office.

Attorney General Mike DeWine, candidate for governor of Ohio, explains that he didn’t join his fellow attorneys general from several other states in challenging the legality of a Texas company’s plan to publish on its web site instructions on how to make a virtually untraceable plastic gun from a 3-D printer because selling guns made with such technology is already illegal.

Fox News reports that hundreds of guns and around 30,000 rounds of ammunition have been taken from citizens under a so-called "red flag" law like the one supported by Governor John Kasich via HB 585.

Seething with displeasure over not getting his way with HB 585, Governor Kasich takes it out on veeranrs, refusing to sign Senate Bill 81, which waives the concealed handgun licensing fee for current, retired, and honorably discharged members of the military and accepts training in the military as proof of firearm competency. The bill will become law without his signature.

Buckeye Firearms Association PAC announces its endorsement of Jim Renacci (R) for U.S. Senate.

The State of Oregon's Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) investigators found that Walmart had violated state nondiscrimination laws by refusing to sell a gun to an 18-year-old woman.

September:

Canadian e-commerce host Shopify changes their company’s firearm policy with disastrous effects for law-abiding U.S. gun businesses that use their e-commerce services. Shopify’s abrupt overnight decision to block the sale of specific firearms is a reversal of their previous business model and creates financial hardship on gun shops that currently use Shopify.

Former President Barack Obama, the "most anti-gun president in American history" campaigns in Ohio for Richard Cordray (D) for governor.

Arch anti-gun Senator Dianne Feinstein grossly exaggerates the criminal use of semi-automatic rifles and mischaracterizes the Supreme Court’s Second Amendment precedent to attack Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh for failing to embrace her political position on gun control.

A man enters Fifth Third Bank's corporate headquarters - a so-called "no-guns" zone -on Cincinnati's Fountain Square and begins firing a 9mm handgun. Three defenseless victims die.

Democrat Richard Cordray uses a debate with his Republican rival Mike DeWine to announce his support for the absolution of all Second Amendment rights for military-aged adults under the age of 21.

The Buckeye Firearms Association PAC announces its endorsement Dave Yost (R) for Ohio attorney general, Robert Sprague (R) for Treasurer of State, Keith Faber (R) for Auditor of State, and Mike DeWine (R) and Jon Husted (R) for Governor and Lt. Governor in the 2018 general election.

Governor John Kasich (R) issues two more executive orders intended to make government agencies do the job they're already supposed to be doing.

Dick’s Sporting Goods admits that Chairman and CEO Edward W. Stack’s repeated attacks on law-abiding gun owners are having a negative effect on the company’s bottom line.

The Shelby City Council considers an ordinance that would allow concealed handguns to be carried in all city-owned buildings and/or properties, other than the Shelby Justice Center.

October:

Buckeye Firearms Association PAC releases endorsements for Ohio legislative and congressional races.

Buckeye Firearms Association alerts Ohio gun owners to shocking attempt by the Ohio Supreme Court to amend the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio that will empower law enforcement to seize guns, a move that would usurp the role of elected lawmakers and represent the most significant changes to Ohio law of our time. Over the next few days, the Court receives thousands of comments, shutting down their voicemail and email systems.

All the gun control laws ever dreamed of are the law of the land in Russia, but it doesn't stop an 18 year-old college student from entering Kerch Polytechnic College in the city of Kerch (located in Russia-controlled Crimea) and firing on fellow students and instructors. At least 20 people die and 70 are others wounded.

November:

Reports of a pending Blue Wave election gun control-supporting candidates are greatly exaggerated. Buckeye Firearms Association PAC-endorsed candidates sweep the governor's race and every other non-judicial statewide office. In U.S. Congressional races, the Republican incumbents - all endorsed by NRA and BFA - all win. In the Ohio Senate, pro-gun candidates rule the day. The Republicans successfully defend every seat and pick up one. In the Ohio House, Republicans hold onto their super-majority, with 96 of 113 (85%) of BFA-endorsed candidates winning their contests.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine (R) releases the Concealed Handgun License (CHL) statistics for the second quarter of 2018, revealing that multiple new records were established, including most licenses ever issued in a quarter.

Lame-duck Governor John Kasich (R) renews calls for gun control, and promises to veto a bill that would restore the presumption of innocence to persons who are forced to defend themselves when attacked.

Despite the fact that support for the Second Amendment enjoys prominence in the platform of a Republican party which has dominated state politics for most of the past two decades, GunsandAmmo.com ranks Ohio a paltry 28th on its list of "Best States for Gun Owners."

HB 228 passes the Ohio House by a veto-proof 65 to 32 margin and is sent to the Senate, where hearings get underway.

Buckeye Firearms Association endorsees are elected by Senate Republicans to a majority of leadership positions for the 133rd General Assembly, which convenes in January.

The City of Toledo announces a new policy that says it will only purchase firearms from "responsible" gun companies.

House Democrats in Washington D.C. outline their gun control agenda for 116th Congress.

December:

Despite Bloomberg-backed opponents of HB 228 packing Senate hearing rooms to protest action on the bill, the Ohio Senate amends and passes the bill by a 19-10 margin.

A Ohio Senate continues hearings on HB 142 (Modify LEO notification) but does not move to pass the bill, citing opposition by former supporters who did not agree with changes made to secure enough votes for passage. The bill will die at the end of the session on December 31.

President Donald Trump's (R) BATFE announces a ban on bump stocks, and gives the public 90 days to destroy or turn them all in.

Governor John Kasich (R) vetoes HB 228, setting up a possible veto-override battle in the final days of the 132nd General Assembly.

In a historic action, the Ohio General Assembly overrides Governor Kasich's ill-advised veto of H.B. 228. The House override was on a 67 to 22 vote. The Ohio Senate override was on a 21 to 11 vote. The Act will become law.