John Kasich's (Not-So) Pro-Second Amendment Advisory Board

Ever since the mass murder in a Parkland, FL high school, which occurred after government agencies at every level failed to follow up on tips and to protect the students, anti-gun opportunists have been seeking an angle.

John Kasich, who is busy attempting to jump-start a third attempt at a campaign for the presidency, inserted himself into the discussion by going on CNN to demand a ban on "God-darned" AR-15s. Following Rahm Emanuel's "never let a good crisis go to waste" philosophy, Kasich says he spotted a "window" of opportunity, and announced that he had convened an advisory panel to find solutions to gun violence.

Kasich went so far as to claim that every single member of the panel supports the Second Amendment.

"No one is interested in some slippery slope trying to go and grab everybody's guns; that's not what this group was comprised of," said Governor Kasich during a press conference.

So who are the members of this "pro-Second Amendment" panel, who "unanimously" agreed it would be ok to strip a person of their Second Amendment rights without due process, and which Kasich says will continue to meet to discuss other gun control measures?

John Kasich's (Not-So) Pro-Second Amendment Advisory Board:

Former Senate President Doug White (R)

As Senate President, White enabled then-Gov. Bob Taft (R) to insert numerous poison pills into Ohio's original concealed carry law - problems for law-abiding gun owners that have taken more than a decade to correct, many of which remain to this day.

Former Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery (R)

Montgomery, who once said "I'll never be the candidate of the NRA", fought to uphold Ohio's ban on concealed carry for years, and said that she would not have signed even the watered-down, poison pill-filled concealed carry bill that Bob Taft eventually did, and explained that "I don't want to live in a country where everyone is packing heat."

Former Senate President Tom Niehaus (R)

As Senate President, Niehaus was generally supportive of your right to bear arms. However, in 2012 he prevented pro-gun House Bill 495 from advancing until a provision which would have allowed "automatic" reciprocity with states that offer such a provision in their concealed carry law (similar to how states recognize out-of-state driver's licenses.)

Former Congresswoman Deborah Pryce (R)

In 1994, Pryce joined John Kasich and President Bill Clinton in voting for the Clinton Gun Ban.

Former State Senator Nina Turner (D)

During her time in the Statehouse, BFA-PAC "D"-rated Turner voted against every single gun rights bill that was presented to her - even a bill that sought to restore 18-21 year-old Armed Service members' right to bear arms.

John Born, Kasich's Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director

John Born vehemently opposed passage of Ohio's original concealed carry law as a Ohio State Highway Patrol spokesperson, and once suggested that gun owners didn't need concealed carry in their cars because "If there's a dangerous situation and you're in your car, you can drive off." Pro-CCW activists actually started keeping a victim count of all the people who tried to follow his ridiculous advice - and coined a term for what often happened to people who tried to just "drive off" when attacked - "getting Borned." During the lengthy fight that finally brought concealed carry to the Buckeye State, at least two men died (see here and here) trying to follow Born's advice.

Toby Wagner, Kasich's Ohio Department of Natural Resources Chief Law Enforcement Chief

According to his LinkedIn profile, Wagner spent years in the Ohio State Highway Patrol with Born, and his most recent job at the OSHP was serving on John Kasich's protection detail (because, you know, Kasich gets to be protected by guns even though he works against you right to be).

Jim Tobin, Catholic Conference of Ohio

Tobin is on record opposing concealed carry since at least 1999, and has previously lobbied against removing Ohio's duty to retreat law, and removing places of worship from the list of "no-guns" victim zones. His organization's national affiliate is also on record as supporting the Clinton Gun Ban.

Former State Rep. Ron Maag (R)

It is a shame that BFA "A+" rated (2014) Maag added his name to this farce. Buckeye Firearms Association can report that two other pro-Second Amendment members of the panel (a former legislator and a current member of the gun industry) quit once they realized the fix was in.

John Kasich's so-called "pro-Second Amendment" panel is phony, just like he is.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is co-founder of BFA-PAC, and served as its Vice Chairman for 15 years. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.