LTE: Happy anniversary

22 April, 2005
Portsmouth Times

On April 8th, 2004 the State of Ohio joined over 40 other states that allow it’s law-abiding citizens the right to the means to afford them the right of personal protection. The overturning of the 150-year-old ban to carry a concealed handgun was finally lifted when Governor Taft signed H.B. 12 into law on January 7th, 2004. In the first 9 months of the new law over 45,000 law-abiding citizens have jumped through the legal hoops to obtain their concealed handgun licenses.

Obtaining a concealed handgun license (CHL) is not as easy as one might think since Ohio has some of the most restrictive requirements in the nation. First one must take a concealed handgun class consisting of 10 hours of classroom instruction AND two hours of range time and pass a hands on and written test, second make application to the sheriff’s office or one of an adjoining county, third pass a Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation background check, have finger prints made, photos made, electronic signature taken, and read the Attorney General’s pamphlet, pay a $45 fee for those who have lived in Ohio for over five years and more if you have lived in Ohio less than five years, and wait up to 45 days before a license is issued.

As in other states we shall see the rate of violent crimes reduce in number within the next three years. No statistics will show just how much a CHL will reduce the amount of violent crimes due to the thoughts of a potential criminal, “does he or she have a concealed handgun on them?”. According to the Attorney General of Ohio, Scioto County ranked 23rd in the issuance of CHL’s during the last 9 months of 2004 issuing 654 concealed handgun licenses.

Numerous county sheriffs all over the state have done their level best to deter law-abiding citizens from obtaining their concealed handgun licenses by restricting applications to being accepted only on certain days or just one day per week and by making only certain hours available for appointments and by flat out denying accepting those applications.

The citizens of Scioto county should proud and honored by having Sheriff Donini be OUR leading law enforcement officer. Thank you Sheriff Donini and your staff for a “job well done”.

Rick Jones
Sciotoville

Editors' note: Rick Jones is OFCC's Senate District 14 Coordinator.