Open Letter to Governor Bob Taft

5 May 2006
Jamestown, OH

The Honorable Bob Taft
Governor, State of Ohio

Dear Governor Taft:

I am writing to request your help with the election of Republican leadership in the November 2006 election.

I am a member of the Greene County Republican Central Committee. I am active in various sportsmen, Second Amendment, and self-defense issues. As a member of the Greene County Central Committee, I work to bring these issues to the attention of our Republican leaders and to represent Republican leaders to the sportsmen organizations.

I worked to bring the Buckeye Firearms Association and NRA, into the fight against the State Issues 2 through 5 last November. My support can be verified through the office of State Representative Kevin DeWine. I also worked with Buckeye Firearms Association and the US Sportsmen Alliance on the Apprentice Hunting License legislation.

The November 2006 elections present some special challenges for our Republican candidates. The Democrats are putting forth some unusually strong pro-gun candidates in their statewide slate. They have served notice that the pro-self defense and pro-Second Amendment vote is no longer guaranteed to the Republican Party.

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I am requesting your help in passing HB347 in the same content as it passed the Ohio House. HB347 is vital to the Republican Party continuing to secure gun-owner votes this fall. Please help by asking the Ohio Highway Patrol to not object to this legislation. They don’t have to support it but just be silent and not testify in the Senate. I am also asking that, upon passage by the Ohio Senate, you sign this bill into law. Do it without fanfare or even without a public signing if you prefer. The key is to get the bill signed. Letting the bill become law without your signature might work but signing it is better.

Organizations are already calling for support of Mr. Strickland based on your campaign pledge to support concealed carry and the later compromise maneuvering before your Administration finally accepted the current law. I am concerned there will be a significantly large gun owner/voter backlash against the Republican candidates should you veto HB347. I firmly believe this could be significant enough to swing the Governor’s race to Mr. Strickland and perhaps the Attorney General’s race from Betty Montgomery to Marc Dann. Individual members of the General Assembly could also be placed at risk if there is no vote or an unsuccessful attempt to override your veto.

The risk to the Republican ticket and the embarrassment of a veto override can be avoided by simply letting HB347 quietly pass the Ohio Senate and be signed into law. Avoiding these problems will let the volunteers, who work on behalf of the Republican Party, continue to effectively promote our Republican candidates.

Sincerely yours,

Larry S. Moore