Senator Lynn Wachtmann: Portrait of a Senate Leader
In one sense, politicians' jobs are not unlike waiters, bellhops, or any other service-related occupation. They rarely hear a peep from their customers unless the service is bad.
Senator Lynn Wachtmann deserves to hear from you, because his service has been so good.
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Sen. Lynn Wachtmann, a Napoleon Republican, says that throughout his history of serving the citizens of rural northwest Ohio, "the issue of concealed carry has been one of my highest priorities. I have been waiting for 19 years to have the opportunity to vote on a bill that creates a responsible concealed carry law that is good for my constituents. I believed with the introduction of House Bill 12, I would have that chance."
Sen. Wachtmann has been a leader for the self-defense rights movement in the Senate. He introduced concealed carry bills in the Senate in both the 124th and 125th General Assemblies, and rallied others to co-sponsor the legislation.
So why did he offer floor testimony opposing Senate passage of Am. Sub. HB12, and vote "no", when it was rushed to the floor last month?
"A bad bill is not better than passing no bill", Wachtmann told his colleagues before the vote. He said the Senate plan treats responsible citizens like criminals by not trusting them to carry a gun in most places even after they get training.
"I took many things into consideration before choosing to vote ‘NO’ on this bill. The one question, however, that weighed heavily on my mind was, ‘Is this going to be a law that every citizen is going to be able to abide by easily, that won’t be easily forgotten?’ My answer over and over again was, no. To me, this bill contained many restrictions and exceptions that could cause even good, law-abiding citizens to be arrested."
On the Senate floor, Wachtmann observed that most of the Senate's amendments were added to alleviate "the governor's fears of the boogie man." He says it is bad policy to vote bills into law that materialize irrational fears by creating excessive restrictions.
"The governor has very little understanding of the law-abiding citizens who make up this state," he said. "They are not the ones who are going to break into stores and shoot people."
In a statement issued after his vote, Wachtmann pointed out that "this legislation ties the hands of parents and insists that people can protect themselves, unless they have children. Also, it is not unreasonable to believe that criminals may target cars with children, knowing that law-abiding citizens would either not have a weapon or have it locked up; we’ve all seen the similar, and all too familiar, scenario of criminals targeting tourists in marked rental cars."
When addressing other concerns with the Senate's amendments, Sen. Wachtmann observed that the provisions of the bill which describe license-holders' encounters with law enforcement use a number of terms that are subjective and could be construed various ways, according to the view of the officer and not the words of the law. "I believe these restrictions leave the door wide open for a law-abiding citizen to be arrested."
Wachtmann informed his constituents that he was "deeply disappointed to vote ‘NO’ on an issue that is so close to my heart and one that is so important to the people of my district. I believe we need to have more respect for law-abiding citizens and not equate them with our fear of criminals having guns. It is my hope that this bill will continue to be debated among the members of the House and Senate, resulting in a bill I can support."
This is not the first time Wachtmann has gone against Senate leadership when it endorses irresponsible legislation. He also voted no on the recently passed 2003 state budget, which incorporated the largest tax increase in state history.
Wachtmann was first elected to the Senate in 1999, and was just re-elected to serve a second-term. He has previously held the office of Napoleon City Councilman (1984), and State Representative (1985-1998).
Honors/Awards: United Conservatives of Ohio-Watchdog of the Treasury (9 terms), Outstanding Freshman Legislator of the Year (2000); National Federation of Independent Businesses-Guardian of Small Business (1998); Ohio Right to Life- Legislator of the Year Defender of Life (1997); American Legislative Exchange Council- National Legislator of the Year (1994)
Affiliations: Henry County Republican Central Committee; Ohio Farm Bureau; Ohio Township Association; Ohio Water Quality Association, Board of Directors; Ducks Unlimited; Pheasants Forever; National Rifle Association; Ohio Right to Life Society; National Association of Sportsman Legislators; American Legislative Exchange Council.
To contact Senator Lynn Wachtmann:
Address:
Senate Building
Room #040, Ground Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614/466-8150
E-mail Senator Wachtmann
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