All Politicians are not the Same - an Interview with Governor Ted Strickland

By Gerard Valentino

Buckeye Firearm’s Chairman, Jim Irvine, is fond of saying that all politicians are not the same, despite people’s belief to the contrary. As proof that not all politicians are the same, Buckeye Firearms Association has set up interviews with pro-gun legislators, and other elected officials who believe strongly in the right to bear arms.

Thankfully, our current governor, Ted Strickland, is a strong supporter of self-defense and sporting rights, including his strong belief that guns are one of the best tools law-abiding citizens can utilize for self-defense.

Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Governor Strickland in his Statehouse office.

The Governor instantly made me feel welcome. He is obviously a person who is comfortable in his own skin. He is polling better than 50% approval ratings across every demographic group. Most people are happy with the job he is doing.

Being familiar with the rapid progress the revamped Ohio Department of Natural Resources has made with concealed carry for hunters, I had high expectations of Governor Strickland, I was not disappointed.

For 45 minutes, we talked about key self-defense issues facing Ohio’s gun owners and sportsmen. They include Castle Doctrine, protection from having guns confiscated during an emergency (referred to as “Katrina” or “emergency powers” reform), fixing transportation issues by finally defining “loaded” as it pertains to the Ohio Revised Code. The last issue is clearing up the misunderstood Class D liquor license problems.

Ted Strickland's beliefs, and more importantly, his willingness to stand by his convictions and support gun rights through his actions as Governor, are a welcome change compared to the previous administration.

First, we discussed the Governor’s feelings on the possible passage of the “Castle Doctrine” or “Stand Your Ground” legislation. True to his pro-self defense beliefs, the Governor expressed support for eliminating the burden of proof that home owners face when someone breaks in while they are home. He also said he could support eliminating the requirement to retreat while outside the home. His only concern was the details of the immunity portion of the bill protecting law-abiding citizens who use deadly force from civil lawsuits.

The Governor wanted to see the actual wording of the bill prior to giving his full support. Shortly after he was provided the actual bill, Governor Strickland then expressed his full support.

The easiest question of the day centered on Katrina reform. Before the question was fully out of my mouth Governor Strickland said, “I spoke on the floor of the House about this and feel it is imperative that guns aren’t confiscated during an emergency.” He went on further to say that he believed that during the crisis in New Orleans the police protection broke down and people were left defenseless because the government had taken their guns. It was refreshing to listen to a man who truly understands the atrocities committed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and who also understands that the solution lies in personal accountability. Law abiding gun owners were not, and are not the problem.

The exact words Governor Strickland used were that he “feels strongly about the issue.” Due to his overwhelming support for Katrina reform we quickly moved into the next two issues.

Most gun owners in Ohio don’t realize that the definition of loaded used in the Ohio Revised Code, as it pertains to car carry, is not clearly defined. There is also case law that stretched the definition to cover many different ways guns are routinely carried by hunters and competitive shooters. Right now, as it currently is defined by case law, most hunters and sportsmen have unknowingly violated the law while traveling to the range or to hunt.

The Governor expressed his full support on defining loaded in the Ohio Revised Code so an everyday Ohioan can read it and understand how to follow the law.

Finally, Governor Strickland addressed the question about how a Class D liquor license affects concealed carry in a Wal-Mart, Kroger or other establishment that doesn’t sell liquor or beer for consumption. The law is muddled when it comes to legal concealed carry in such a location since it spells out that any location that has a Class D license is a victim zone.

Even though the legislators who voted for the original concealed carry bill believed the Class D language banned legal concealed carry only in locations that sell alcohol for consumption on premises, that isn’t how the law was drafted. HB12 can be interpreted in a way that bans legal concealed carry even in places that only sell packaged alcohol. At least one person is facing criminal charges for violating this confusing law.

Such a loophole leaves license holders open to a vindictive prosecutor or law enforcement officer who is against concealed carry. Governor Strickland was under the same impression as most license holders, that the Class D language in HB12 was meant for places that sell alcohol for consumption on the premises.

Upon learning of the problem, the Governor agreed that fixing the loophole is an important part of furthering the legal concealed carry movement and expressed support for a bill that fixed the problem. Governor Strickland agreed that the law should be easy for people to follow and that getting a concealed carry license shouldn’t put people in jeopardy of being charged with an accidental felony. I couldn’t agree with him more.

The overall tone of the interview had the Governor expressing his fundamental belief in the right to self-defense and the right to bear arms, echoing the same statements he made on the campaign trail.

Governor Strickland proved that he is not like other politicians. He stated his beliefs clearly, and when he thought an issue was questionable he was honest and forthright about potential problems. An example of this is when he stated he needed to see the specific civil liability protection wording in the newly introduced Castle Doctrine bill before he could support it.

There were no wishy-washy statements or double-talk. Governor Strickland presented his thoughts on the issues clearly and concisely, whether it was in agreement with our side or not. To his credit, he was on gun owners' side on pretty much every issue.

It was an honor to meet with the Governor and a pleasure to spend time with Ted Strickland. It’s a shame that all sportsmen and women do not have the opportunity to get to know the man. Those that do will understand how different he is and how much better he will be for us than past Governors.

Ohio gun owners finally have a friend in the Governor’s mansion. It will be a pleasure working with him to improve our laws.

(The author wishes to send his personal thanks to Governor Strickland and Keith Daley for giving Buckeye Firearms Association a few minutes of their valuable time.)