2012 - BFA in the News

Note: some websites change or deactivate stories after we link them here.

December 31, 2012
The Athens Messenger

December 31, 2012
CityBeat - Pro-Gun Group Offers Free Shooting Training for Ohio Teachers

A pro-gun group called the Buckeye Firearms Foundation says it plans to send 24 school teachers through a training program to avoid mass murders in Ohio schools, which it called "victim zones." The organization, which has been holding classes for cops and civilians in rural Adams County near Cincinnati for about 15 years, calls the program the Armed Teacher Training Program. So far, there is no word about how many teachers have applied, but the firearms group says it has been flooded with applications.

This move by the in-state gun lobby — which appears to be trying to capitalize off a tragedy linked to another slaughter — echoes the National Rifle Association's call for arming teachers after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. It seems designed to push back against efforts to control access to assault rifles and plays off fears that teachers can save students by shooting it out with bad guys.

In online photos at the Adams County site, there are people with military style guns, all apparently engaged in legal activities on private property.

The three-day shooting course for teachers in Ohio is supposed to cost $1,000, and the firearms association says it will pick up the tab for the educators it accepts into the class. That means it's putting its money where its munitions are — it is serious about training but does not offer to arm the teachers or buy them guns and bullets. It says it will keep the names of the teachers secret if they ask for confidentiality. The instructors are supposed to include "professional law enforcement personnel" who have faced active shooter situations:

"We believe that while there are many things we can do to help avoid mass murders at schools, it is imperative we allow teachers and administrators to respond quickly and effectively. That means having at least a few armed personnel on the scene so schools are no longer 'victim zones.' We have resolved to create a curriculum for a standardized Armed Teach Training Program which can be adopted around the county."

More information about the Tactical Defense Institute can be found here. The questionnaire to apply for the Armed Teacher Training Program can be found here.

December 30, 2012
Armed American Radio

December 29, 2012
Sun News Network (Toronto, Ontario)

December 28, 2012
The (UK) Telegraph - Teachers get lessons in how to handle armed assaults

In Ohio, the Buckeye Firearms Association said it was launching a test programme in tactical firearms training for 24 teachers initially, while in Arizona this week the State's attorney general launched a proposal to allow any school to train and arm its head or another staff member.

December 28, 2012
WSYX (ABC Columbus) - Debate Over Arming Teachers

The Buckeye Firearms Association offered a free three-day tactical defense and gun training session to twenty-four Ohio teachers. Nearly five hundred school workers from across the state have expressed interest. Ken Hanson with Buckeye Firearms says they are all types of workers, "Elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, principals, school secretaries, lunchroom workers, custodians, teachers—all of these people have been responding. This is not basic training. This is not people sitting in a classroom learning this is a barrel, this is a trigger, this is a grip."

December 28, 2012
Columbus Dispatch - Hundreds of Ohio school workers want to carry guns

More than 450 teachers and other school employees from around Ohio have applied for 24 spots in a free firearms-training program being offered by the Buckeye Firearms Association.

"We're pleasantly surprised, but it's not shocking," Ken Hanson, legal chairman for the association, said today of the response since the group began taking applications on its website 10 days ago. "The demand has been there for quite some time."

The issue of arming school employees to protect students has been "on the radar" of school boards in Ohio for several years, he said, but the organization decided to launch its training program after the Dec. 14 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults.

"That was the breaking point," he said. "We decided it's time to quit talking about it and move forward."

The first firearms class, a three-day program at the Tactical Defense Institute in West Union in Adams County, hasn't been scheduled nor have the participants been chosen. Applications are being accepted at buckeyefirearms.org, the website of the group, which lobbies for the rights of gun owners.

The same week that the Buckeye Firearms Association announced its offer, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said schools should consider arming “someone” in their buildings as the first line of defense against a gunman. Beginning Jan. 14, his office will work with law enforcement and educators to train teachers and administrators to deal with "active shooters."

The local police union expressed concerns this week about arming teachers or others who work in schools.

"It's our position that there should be law-enforcement officers in schools," said Jason Pappas, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9. "To have civilians with guns in schools who could be mistaken for an active shooter only causes confusion for law enforcement."

Columbus school-board member Mike Wiles also prefers trained police officers in schools. He's willing to listen to all options for keeping students safe, but he said the notion of arming staff members would require support from "the board, the community, the staff, the parents, everybody."

Hanson said his group likes the idea of police officers in schools but worries that those school officers are among the first lost to budget cuts when school districts encounter financial problems.

Arming teachers and other school employees is “budget neutral,” he said.

Although the Buckeye Firearms Association will fund the first class in its Armed Teacher Training Program, Hanson estimated the cost for tuition, ammunition and lodging for each participant at $1,000.

More than 70 percent of the school employees who have applied are teachers, about half of whom work in elementary schools, he said. Others are administrators and even custodians and food-service workers.

Beginners won't be accepted. The program is looking for applicants with "significant prior firearms experience," Hanson said.

John Benner, a former member of the Hamilton County regional SWAT team who owns the Tactical Defense Institute, said the class will be an intensive three-day program in dealing with active shooters.

By the end of the course, only participants who can pass the same firearms tests administered to law-enforcement officers should be armed in a school, Benner said.

"If they can't qualify, they shouldn't be carrying a gun," he said. "There has to be some standard."

Whether any of those who complete the course can carry guns in schools will be up to individual school boards and perhaps the state legislature.

The Ohio Revised Code allows school boards to give individuals written authorization to carry a gun on school grounds, Hanson said. The law, an exception to the ban on guns in schools, is found in ORC 2923.122.

But the legal counsel for the Ohio School Boards Association sees another legal hurdle to arming teachers or other school employees.

Hollie Reedy referred to ORC 109.78, which says that no public or private educational institution is permitted to employ a person "who goes armed while on duty" unless the person has completed a basic peace-officer training program or has

20 years of active duty as a peace officer.

"(Section) 2923.122 is not the end of the story," Reedy said. "We have to look at other parts of the code."

Jonathan Fulkerson, deputy chief counsel for the state attorney general, disagreed with her interpretation of ORC 109.78, which he said addresses the hiring of special police officers or security guards.

"I don't see how 109.78 would apply to a teacher," he said. "It covers a whole other area."

December 28, 2012
Akron Beacon-Journal - Ohio firearms group says response 'overwhelming' to offer for firearms training for teachers

The Buckeye Firearms Association says it has received an "overwhelming" response, some from Northeast Ohio, to its offer to train school personnel in firearms.

Association President Jim Irvine of Strongsville said about 500 teachers, bus drivers, administrators and janitors statewide have volunteered for 24 slots in its pilot training program to be held in the spring.

The group announced its program last week in the wake of the shootings of 26 children and adults at a school in Newtown, Conn.

But Irvine and other association members had been thinking about offering the training for years, he said.

"The goal is to make schools realize that you've got to do more than put a sticker on a door," said Irvine, a professional pilot with young children of his own. "That's not security. People, we're living in denial."

...Irvine said organizers will select participants from every corner of the state, at every level from kindergarten through high school. The first batch of students to be selected will be those with concealed-carry permits so that trainers don't have to cover the basics of pulling a trigger, he said.

The training will cover more than firearms and tactics, he said. As the biggest cause of death for shooting victims is bleeding to death, the course will teach treatment of the injured.

"EMTs won't come into the building until police say its safe," Irvine said. "You have to have people who can apply pressure bandages and stabilize the patient and stop the clock."

Eventually, the program could be farmed out statewide to every school employee who is interested, he suggested. He wants to develop a curriculum that the Ohio Police Officer Training Academy can offer to school employees.

In the meantime, the Buckeye Firearms Association will offer three days of free training this March or April at the Tactical Defense Institute in West Union in Adams County.

The association's foundation will cover the $1,000 per student cost for tuition, ammunition and lodging, Irvine said.

Representatives of local and state teachers' unions could not be reached for comment.

December 28, 2012
KPAM 860 AM (Portland) "The Victoria Taft Show"

December 27, 2012
Fox News Radio "The Alan Colmes Show"

December 27, 2012
ABC World News Tonight - Utah Teachers Flock to Gun Training

In Ohio, the Buckeye Firearms Association is launching a pilot armed teacher training program in which 24 teachers will be selected to attend a three-day training class.

December 27, 2012
CBS News - Gun classes for teachers may be catching on in wake of Newtown massacre

In Ohio, the Buckeye Firearms Association said it was launching a test program in tactical firearms training for 24 teachers initially.

December 27, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Big Show with Bill Cunningham"

December 27, 2012
KOGO 600 AM (San Diego) "Chip Franklin Mornings"

December 27, 2012
USA Today - Buckeye Firearms Association offers free training to teachers after Sandy Hook Elementary shootings

In Ohio, the Buckeye Firearms Foundation is swamped with 20 times more applications — from teachers and administrators to custodians and bus drivers -- than they have space for in a three-day tactical defense course to be offered this this spring.

Jim Irvine, president of the Ohio foundation, said Thursday that the $1,000 per person Armed Teacher Training Program would be free for the 24 people selected from more than 400 applicants. "What better use for an educational foundation than to help educators protect our children," he said.

It is legal in Ohio to bring a concealed weapon on school grounds if a school district has granted permission. Irvine expects more will do so since the Sandy Hook killings.

"School boards were just in denial. That denial got ripped away in Newtown, Conn. The idea is to make it hard to kill a kid," he said.

The school personnel chosen for the class must already have basic firearms training and a concealed carry permit and come to the Tactical Defense Institute in rural West Union, Ohio, with their own handgun, holster, extra magazines and speed loaders.

December 26, 2012
Associated Press - Ohio gun group offers shooting lessons to teachers (picked up by news outlets across the state and around the country, including Fox News & MSN)

Following the killing of 20 children and six educators in Newtown, Conn., an Ohio-based gun group says it is launching a test program to train teachers how to use firearms.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that the Buckeye Firearms Association says it will initially accept applications from 24 teachers for its Armed Teacher Pilot Program. The three-day firearm-training class will be held at the Tactical Defense Institute in West Union. The association will pay for the training, including lodging and ammunition.

Association legal chairman Ken Hanson said in a statement that teachers and school board members have been "asking us for years" for this kind of training. He said the group's long-term goal is to develop a standard curriculum and make the training available to any teacher or school official.

December 26, 2012
WBAL 1090 AM (Baltimore) "Maryland News Now"

December 26, 2012
The Independent (Massilion, OH) & The Canton Repository - State lawmakers expect to debate gun control

Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, a grassroots political action committee (PAC) that defends and advances the rights of Ohioans to own and use firearms for legal activities such as self-defense, hunting and recreation, said the country is ready for meaningful change following the Newtown, Conn., shooting.

"We need to take some time and learn from (Sandy Hook). I'm willing to look at everything that works because, at the end of the day, this is not about guns, it's about safety," Irvine said. "... A lot of people are sick at what happened. All of us have kids, nieces, nephews or some friend with kids that we can relate to. It just rips your guts out. We've had it. It's not me. It's the whole country. We've had it with our kids dying."

Irvine said a comprehensive approach is needed to prevent mass shootings in the future, including arming teachers and training victims to fight back. Knee-jerk reactions to events rarely accomplish much, he added.

"We need to change the mindset. We have told our teachers and our kids that fighting is wrong and if you have any infraction, you will be expelled," Irvine said. "Fighting is not the first course of solving any problem, but there are times when you need to fight."

It would be too costly, Irvine said, to put armed guards inside every school building in the U.S. as National Rifle Association president Wayne LaPierre suggested last week during a news conference. However, teachers should be given the option of receiving training and carrying a firearm, Irvine said.

"I'm not saying we should arm all the teachers, but we should allow the teachers who want to carry a gun to do so," he said.

December 26, 2012
WTAP (NBC Marietta) - Arming Teachers to Protect Schools

The debate about arming teachers to protect schools is getting a lot of attention. One Ohio Group says we owe it to the teachers and they're paying to train them how to shoot.

It's a three-day firearms-training class through the Buckeye Firearms Association. The Armed Teacher Pilot Program will be at the Tactical Defense Institute in West Union.

The Organization says they hope to provide the skills and mindset to save kids lives. They plan to run the pilot class, review it with students and state officials and then add more trainings.

"What we want to do is, it doesn't end at this class, the demand far exceeds 24, obviously that doesn't do a big enough deterrent. Run a pilot class then analyze our results, talk to the students, see did this work for you, did we hit the mark on the class. Make any adjustments that we need to do and then roll it out to the rest of the state or even nation," explains Chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, Jim Irvine.

The organizations has 24 openings for the pilot class and they say they've gotten hundreds of application. Of the 24 they say it will be school administrators, teachers, and even maintenance from all of the state.

"You want every school to be able to have... somebody with skills. And you know what, it could be that someone finishes up this class and goes, I really, I still can't do it or I can't get permission, or this isn't going to work, but they're still going to take away some other mind set things they can use in their schools to keep kids safe. They're going to take away some casualty care, treating wounded that will make kids safer."

The foundation says anyone that works in the school environment can apply, teachers, administrators, even maintenance.

And everyone in training is completely volunteering.

They say they've been working on the program for years and it's now there is a big push for it.

"It's something that I and other people have been interested in for years, we've been looking at to because of mass killings, knowing that schools are targets, knowing that our kids are at risk. It's something that we've been looking at for a long time but the events of Newtown, Connecticut and those killings there really spurred everyone else into saying, 'Really you guys are already been looking at this, you're working on it? -- yes.'"

The Foundations expects to spend around $1,000 per student for those 3 days.

They plan on raising money to conduct future classes.

"It's because our schools and our teachers simply don't have the money to go into this training. We have an educational foundation and this is a perfect use of funds."

December 25, 2012
Columbus Dispatch - Group offers shooting lessons to teachers

In response to the massacre of 20 first-graders at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., an Ohio-based gun group has launched a test program to train teachers how to use firearms.

The Buckeye Firearms Association announced that it initially will accept applications from 24 teachers for the Armed Teacher Pilot Program, a three-day firearm-training class at the Tactical Defense Institute in West Union, Ohio. The association will pay expenses for the training, including lodging and ammunition.

"Teachers and school board members have been asking us for years about training to prepare for an incident like Sandy Hook," Ken Hanson, the association's legal chairman, said in a statement.

"The long-term goal is to develop a standard Armed Teacher curriculum and make the training available to any teacher or school official. To begin, we will use funds from our educational foundation and solicit donations from corporations to pay for the pilot program. Going forward, we will seek funding from a variety of sources to expand the program."

Amid a national debate about gun control in the wake of the Newtown murders, the National Rifle Association has called for placing armed guards in all American schools.

December 23, 2012
WBNS (CBS Columbus) - Gun Control Debate

December 23, 2012
HumanEvents.com - NRA Members React to Attacks

This is not the first time the NRA has been targeted for destruction, said Linda Walker, from the Buckeye Firearms Association and a member of the association's board of directors.

"Anti-gunners like the Brady Campaign are out in full force, but they will not stop mass shootings by guilting us into compromise," she said.

"They work off emotions, we work off facts," she said.

..."The NRA is all about upholding and preserving Second Amendment rights," Walker said.

The NRA has decades of experience on the frontlines of the gun rights debate at the state and federal level, she said. "We will not lose members. We will gain more members.

December 23, 2012
WBZI 1500 AM's "Class Country Outdoors" radio program

December 22, 2012
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette - Efforts to limit gun ownership spark local debate

Gerard Valentino, the co-founder for the Buckeye Firearms Association and a Pickerington resident, disagrees.

"When someone responds to a spree killing with a gun, the death toll is considerably lower," Valentino said.

Valentino said people always should have the opportunity to defend themselves.

"Arm teachers who choose to be armed. Allow CCW holders to carry in schools," he said. "We need more people with the ability to fight back."

Valentino said he expects to see national and possibly state legislation that will allow people to carry guns in schools.

"The only way to keep people from killing other people is to kill them first," he said.

December 21, 2012
StateImpact Ohio - Free Gun Training for Teachers in Wake of Newtown Shootings

WOSU's Steve Brown reports that the Buckeye Firearms Association will offer a free, three-day "firearm training" course for Ohio teachers next year:

The first three-day course for 24 teachers is scheduled for early next month. The course will include class tuition, ammunition, and lodging. "The long-term goal is to develop a standard Armed Teacher curriculum and make the training available to any teacher or school official," said Ken Hanson, the organization's legal chair.

December 21, 2012
WTVG (ABC Toledo) - Buckeye Firearms Assoc. launches Armed Teacher Pilot Program

The Buckeye Firearms Association has launched a pilot program to provide firearm training to teachers free of charge.

The Armed Teacher Pilot Program will begin by accepting 24 teachers who will go through a comprehensive, three-day training class at the Tactical Defense Institute in West Union, Ohio. Details are still being finalized. The first class will be announced in early January. Based on the response to the program, the association may roll out classes to other training facilities.

December 21, 2012
WOSU (NPR Columbus) - Firearms Organization Offers Free Gun Training To Teachers

A local gun rights organization is offering free firearms training to teachers.

The Buckeye Firearms Association announced the new training at a townhall meeting Thursday night. The first three-day course for 24 teachers is scheduled for early next month. The course will include class tuition, ammunition, and lodging.

"The long-term goal is to develop a standard Armed Teacher curriculum and make the training available to any teacher or school official," said Ken Hanson, the organization’s legal chair.

"To begin, we will use funds from our educational foundation and solicit donations from corporations to pay for the pilot program. Going forward, we will seek funding from a variety of sources to expand the program."

The state will also begin offering "first-responder" training to teachers. Attorney General Mike DeWine says the course beginning January 14 will focus on identifying a potential attacker, and what to do in the event of a school shooting or other emergency.

DeWine says the decision to arm teachers in classrooms should rest with local school boards.

December 21, 2012
WKSU (NPR Kent) - Free Gun Training for Teachers in Wake of Newtown Shootings

WOSU's Steve Brown reports that the Buckeye Firearms Association will offer a free, three-day "firearm training" course for Ohio teachers next year:

The first three-day course for 24 teachers is scheduled for early next month. The course will include class tuition, ammunition, and lodging. "The long-term goal is to develop a standard Armed Teacher curriculum and make the training available to any teacher or school official," said Ken Hanson, the organization's legal chair.

The Ohio firearm rights-advocacy group's offer comes as the National Rifle Association calls for placing armed guards in schools. From NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre's public statement today:

"I call on Congress today to act immediately, to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every school — and to do it now, to make sure that blanket of safety is in place when our children return to school in January."

We also got a note this week from a retired Central Ohio teacher who says that teachers aren't the only ones who might need training. The "real first responders" are our school secretaries and receptionists, who are often the first ones to greet the parents and the public, she says.

December 21, 2012
WBNS (CBS Columbus) - Gun Debate

December 21, 2012
WSYX (ABC Columbus) - Ohio Group Wants To Train Teachers To Use Guns

Gerard Valentino, a spokesman for the Buckeye Firearms Association, argued it would cost school districts less to train an entire staff to carry a weapon, than hire one additional resource officer, and the best way to make guns a deterrent is to create an element of surprise.

"It has to be anonymous. We've had people say: 'Let's just arm principals.' [Then] the person who comes into the school and finds the principal and shoots him or her first," Valentino predicted.

Ohio statute allows school boards to decide who can carry a concealed weapon in their district.

...Valentino believes school board members across the state are increasingly open to the idea. The Ohio Attorney General expressed support for the idea earlier this week.

December 21, 2012
NRANews.com

December 21, 2012
Gannett News Service - Group offers free gun training to Ohio teachers

A few Ohio teachers will be given free gun training, and at least one firearm instructor said arming select educators could work to deter violence if done by the right people with the right training.

The Buckeye Firearms Association on Thursday announced a pilot program to give firearms training to two dozen educators for free. The announcement came at a town hall sponsored by the state gun lobby at which participants debated gun control in the wake of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

“Teachers and school board members have been asking us for years about training to prepare for an incident like Sandy Hook,” Ken Hanson, BFA's legal chairman, said in a statement. “Based on the response to this pilot program, we will roll out classes to other training facilities.”

The initial Armed Teacher Pilot Program will offer 24 teachers a three-day training class at the Tactical Defense Institute in West Union. All expenses, including tuition, ammunition and lodging, will be paid by the foundation and outside donations. It is expected to cost about $1,000 per teacher.

...Hanson said the long-term goal of his organization’s training program is to develop a standard course for all teachers and school officials. The first class is to be announced in early January. The group promised to keep identities of the participants confidential.

December 21, 2012
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Buckeye Firearms Association offers free training to teachers after Sandy Hook Elementary shootings

In response to the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., the Buckeye Firearms Association has announced it will provide teachers with free firearms training.

The pro-gun advocacy organization said it would pay all expenses, including tuition, ammunition and lodging (estimated at $1,000 each) for 24 teachers to get comprehensive three-day training at Tactical Defense Institute in West Union, Ohio. If there is more demand, the Armed Teacher Pilot Program will be expanded to more sites.

The Buckeye Firearms Foundation will pay for the training.

Buckeye Firearms representative Jim Reese said during a broadcast of the Sound of Ideas on WCPN FM/90.3 Thursday: "We need to examine how we enhance the safety of our children in that environment. The first responder in a situation such as what we had in that school has got to be the teachers. You've got to educate the teacher, and when you look at the folks who stop these things while they're in progress, it typically is someone else who is armed."

December 21, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Big Show with Bill Cunningham"

December 20, 2012
WTOV (NBC Steubenville) - Firearm training for teachers to take place

The Buckeye Firearms Association plans to train teachers in firearm safety, hoping to have those teachers armed inside schools so they can defend themselves and their students.

However, permitting guns inside schools is not something some school officials are comfortable with. Bellaire Local School District Superintendent Tony Scott said he can't fathom teachers carrying guns.

"I just don't believe our teachers signed up for this. I know I didn't sign up for it," Scott said.

Scott said he does feel like something needs to change, because innocent lives are being lost. He just is not sure what that change should be, and he feels the issue needs a lot of research and discussion.

The Buckeye Firearms Association has announced it will offer a free program to 24 teachers to train them in firearm safety. The class is designed by the Technical Defense Institute, and it will provide basic shooting instruction, as well as tactical shooting and injury response training.

According to Ken Hanson, the organization's legal director, teachers have to make sure students are safe, and this is unfortunately what it has come to. He said fighting back may be the only way to stop a shooter.

"Look at the mall shooting in Clackamas that happened like five days before the Sandy Hook shooting. That person had the same rifle and only killed two people. Why? Because an armed citizen was present, pointed the gun at the guy, and his next shot was a suicide shot," Hanson said.

Right now, guns can be permitted in Ohio schools with the permission of the school's board of education, as long as the person has a concealed-carry permit.

However, Scott said he is not ready to allow guns in his classrooms.

"I have two kids that are teachers. Obviously I was a teacher coming through the ranks. I don't know that I would want the responsibility to have a firearm in my classroom," Scott said.

He said it could either save lives or make matters worse -- a risk he's not willing to take.

There is no set date for the training, and Hanson said the organization will take applications. It will choose teachers who are most likely to improve the school's safety with the training, he said. Still, however, the board of education must give approval before a gun can be brought inside a school.

December 20, 2012
WSYX (ABC Columbus) & WRGT (Fox Dayton) - ABC Town Hall discussion

December 20, 2012
WCPN 90.3 FM (Cleveland) "The Sound of Ideas"

December 19, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Eddie & Tracy Show"

December 19, 2012
WHIO (CBS Dayton) - Local gun sales surging in wake of CT shooting

"The honest people out there are seeing that their rights to own firearms and accessories might be restricted, so they're looking to purchase what they can," said Joe Eaton, southwest Ohio chair for the Buckeye Firearms Association.

That included, Eaton said, some retailers sold out of their available stock at last weekend's Bill Goodman’s Gun and Knife Show event in Sharonville.

"(One retailer) told me the attitude was anything they could purchase, they would purchase," Eaton said. "He had several hundred (weapons), and every one of them sold by the end of the weekend.

"One shop said they sold out of rifles they had in stock and were looking to get more, but the distributors said anything they had in the warehouse had already been sold."

December 19, 2012
Record-Herald - Ohio senate adds to gun control debate

"I would argue with the terminology, with calling them 'safeguards'" said Joe Eaton, southwest Ohio chair for the Buckeye Firearms Association. "There are a lot of traps for the honest gun owners that still need to be cleared up in Ohio's gun laws, so I think it's a matter of perspective."

Legislators should have the right to store whatever they want in their automobile, and the ongoing debate is unduly focused on access to firearms, said Eaton.

"The firearms are not the cause," he said.

Eaton said that several lives were saved recently in Cincinnati when law-abiding citizens had access to guns to defend themselves from attackers.

"Unfortunately, now we turn around this week and have the opposite," he said. "We had people in a situation where they did not have the tools to protect themselves, and we ended up with too many dead children and teachers."

December 18, 2012
WSYX (ABC Columbus) & WRGT (Fox Dayton) - NEWTOWN TRAGEDY: Gun Control Debate

December 18, 2012
WBNS (CBS Columbus) - Dick's Sporting Goods Stifles Rifle Sales In Wake Of Conn. Shootings

Linda Walker, from the Buckeye Firearms Association, said that stricter gun control is not the answer.

"One, you can't legislate morality and two, the only people who pay attention to gun control are the law abiding citizens," Walker said. "These aren't the people going out and doing these mass murders."

December 18, 2012
Dayton Daily News - Gun control debate takes center stage

Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, also said he is not opposed to all gun control initiatives merely out of principle.

Gun control advocates, including Toby Hoover, the executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, have this week renewed calls for re-instituting a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that expired in 2004, 10 years after it was implemented.

But Irvine said those reforms didn't actually result in demonstrably fewer gun-related deaths.

"We can take a look at them. But if it's just to make somebody feel better, then we shouldn't do it. If they can show that it's effective, that's fine," Irvine said. “The problem is, they've never been able to show it in the past."

Rather, Irvine emphasized the need to increase security in schools.

That could include posting armed police officers and allowing trained school staff to carry guns. Irvine also said schools need to better reinforce their buildings and increase training for teachers and, when age-appropriate, students to deal with active shooters.

"We've got to change the mindset of teachers," Irvine said. "They've got to fight back."

December 18, 2012
WKBN (CBS Youngstown) - Guns Sales Increase In Wake Of Conn. Shooting and WYFX (Fox Youngstown) - Guns Sales Increase In Wake Of Conn. Shooting

Local gun dealers said on Thursday they've seen a recent increase in gun sales.

...last week's tragic shooting involving children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. is making an impact on sales in addition to fueling the debate over gun rights.

"Those sorts of things usually spring people's attention that ultimately the individual is responsible for their own personal safety," said Buckeye Firearms Association spokesman Rick Kaleda.

December 18, 2012
News Talk 610 WTVN (Columbus) "The John Corby Show"

December 18, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Mark Amazon Show"

December 18, 2012
Fox News - Gun sales surge after Connecticut massacre

In southwest Ohio, from dawn to dusk a Cincinnati gun show had a line of 400 waiting to get in, said Joe Eaton of the Buckeye Firearms Association.

"Sales were through the roof on Saturday," said Eaton. "People were buying everything they could out of fear the president would try to ban certain guns and high-capacity magazines."

December 18, 2012
Columbus Dispatch - Guns remain a talking point with Ohio lawmakers

Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said that attempts to prevent such mass killings will have to be comprehensive, including better examining mental health and teaching victims to fight back.

"Arming teachers is something we need to look at," he said, arguing that "we have a whole team of Secret Service agents protecting the president wherever he goes."

December 18, 2012
Toledo Blade - Ohio, Michigan gun bills in crosshairs

Guns are off limits in Ohio’s schools, and Ohio House Bill 495 on its way to Mr. Kasich’s desk would not change that.

"There's nothing in (House Bill) 495 that has to do with schools or school zones, but I understand that the anti-gun people will use this," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association. "It's their MO, connecting things that shouldn't be connected, to make emotional arguments.

"They will use this tragedy for political gain," he said. "It's not that they don't care about kids. That's not what I'm saying... It's just that, for whatever reason, they'll get caught up in the emotion and try to use that, while we want to look at facts."

Gun rights advocates have argued that having a gun in the hands of a trained person in a school could stop a gunman and reduce the number of lost lives.

December 17, 2012
News Talk ZB Auckland (New Zealand) "The Mike Hosking Breakfast Show"

December 17, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Scott Sloan Show"

December 17, 2012
Dayton Daily News - Guns remain a talking point with Ohio lawmakers

Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said preventing such mass killings will have to be comprehensive, including better examining mental health and teaching victims to fight back.

"Arming teachers is something we need to look at," he said, arguing that children deserve the same protections given the president, the speaker of the House and the governor. "Our kids are important enough, we can't afford to lose them," he said.

December 17, 2012
WCMH (NBC Columbus) - Gun Violence Debated After School Shooting

Linda Walker, Central Ohio Chairwoman for the Buckeye Firearms Association says the answer to gun violence is not gun control. "Putting more restrictions on the law abiding is not going to stop all these mass murders," Walker said.

Walker believes more guns will actually result in less violence.

"If it comes down to arming our teachers and administrators - it will stop it in its tracks and we will not have one more mass murder in our schools," Walker said.

December 17, 2012
Gannett News Service - Gun lobby: Train, arm teachers for defense

Having responsible adults with guns in schools should be part of a comprehensive effort to protect children from tragedies, according to the chairman of the Ohio’s gun lobby.

Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, on Monday said if it makes sense to use armed adults to protect dignitaries or trucks of money, it also makes sense to use them to protect children. Hiding and waiting for law enforcement to arrive is simply not effective when a gunman is on a killing spree.

"What you really need is one person who is on the inside to stop it," Irvine said. "Guns are a piece of the safety puzzle."

...Irvine stressed that the defense of schools should not simply be about guns. He said it is about changing the culture to enable regular people to respond in such difficult situations. Instead of teaching children that violence is always wrong, he said young adults should learn that in dire situations, violence may be needed.

Training also should be made available for schools. From getting a janitor to swing a wrench to having teachers throw a chair, Irvine said disrupting the assailant is critical to save lives.

While putting an armed guard in each school would be ideal, the cost would be prohibitive, Irvine said. A commercial pilot, Irvine said the federal government armed pilots after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and it makes sense to give educators every chance to survive an attack.

"We've got to teach our teachers to fight back," he said.

December 17, 2012
WBNS (CBS Columbus) - Kasich Will Not Delay Signing Of New Gun Bill

Linda Walker from the Buckeyes Firearms Association said Connecticut has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, and they failed to prevent Friday's shooting.

"Criminals don't pay attention to the laws,” said Walker. "If the teacher or principal in Connecticut had been armed, we wouldn't be looking at 28 dead people today."

Walker advocates more guns in public places, like schools, would be a deterrent to violence.

Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown disagrees and said there should be fewer guns on the streets, not more.

"I don't think the idea of more guns in school houses is a good thing. I think that's a bad thing," said Brown. "At least we need to ban assault weapons again as we did 15 years ago. There's just not a reason why people need an automatic or semiautomatic to spray bullets like that."

Brown said besides the assault weapons ban, a gun control bill could include a longer waiting period for gun applicants, a restriction on the number of guns that can be purchased per month, and a mandatory mental health background check.

"I think some of my friends, particularly on the other side of the aisle but in both parties who have gotten a lot of money from the National Rifle Association, need to stand up to them," added Brown.

But Walker said the debate comes down to citizens' second amendment rights. She is on the national board of the National Rifle Association, which has not yet made an official statement on the Connecticut shooting.

When asked if there's any room for compromise between gun advocates and opponents, she said, "No."

December 14, 2012
Gongwer News Service - Lawmakers Laud Legislation Passed Late In Lame Duck Session

The Buckeye Firearms Association lamented the Senate's decision to excise "automatic reciprocity" from a gun bill, but applauded remaining provisions that would: allow people to store weapons in Capitol Square garages; drive with loaded magazines in separate containers; and eliminate a training requirement for concealed carry license renewals (HB 495).

"House Bill 495 was good, common sense legislation," Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said. "As is common in politics, we didn't get everything we wanted, but we dramatically improved the law. We solved the critical issues of removing the ill-conceived 'demonstrated competency' for renewals that start next month, and achieved a workable definition of a 'unloaded firearm.'"

December 13, 2012
Columbus Dispatch - Limits on guns may be abated

Ken Hanson, legislative director of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said this would help Ohio licensees traveling to and from Florida who currently have to disarm when going through Georgia, which currently doesn't honor Ohio's permit.

...[Ohio FOP lobbyist Mike] Weinman said police also don't like eliminating the need to prove range competency when renewing a license for a second time. "Something could happen where you wouldn't be able to handle that firearm safely,” he said.

Hanson said the change would not affect safety because by the time a second renewal comes up, they've been carrying a handgun in Ohio for 10 years "without a safety incident. If there was an incident, they would be disqualified from being able to renew."

December 12, 2012
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Ohio Senate committee passes bill allowing guns in Statehouse parking garage

The gun bill is backed by a gallery of gun enthusiasts including the National Rifle Association and the Buckeye Firearms Association and opposed by most law enforcement groups, including the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio....

December 10, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Mark Amazon Show"

December 10, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Big Show with Bill Cunningham"

December 6, 2012
NRANews.com

December 4, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Mark Amazon Show"

December 4, 2012
NRANews.com

December 2, 2012
WBZI 1500 AM's "Class Country Outdoors" radio program

November 23, 2012
Columbus Dispatch - Fowl Play: Although turkey shoots no longer involve actual birds, they continue an American sporting tradition

"It's a nod to our forefathers' tradition of shooting and hunting," said Larry Moore, [Buckeye Firearms Association Region Leader,] a longtime hunter-education instructor and avid turkey hunter from Jamestown, in Greene County.

Modern turkey shoots cling to other ties from early America, too.

The targets, for example, are just 6 inches square and have a small circle with two lines forming cross hairs in the middle. And they are difficult to hit.

"To kill a turkey, you have to hit it in the head and neck area," Moore said. "That's a very small target, so it does replicate, in effect, being able to hit the head and neck."

November 13, 2012
WTAM 1100AM Cleveland

November 11, 2012
WBZI 1500 AM's "Class Country Outdoors" radio program

November 13, 2012
WFMD-TV (Mansfield) - Debate answer on assault weapons ban could cause problems for Obama

Jim Irvine, Buckeye Firearms Association, chairman, was the guest speaker Monday night at the non-partisan Mansfield North Central Ohio Tea Party Association meeting in Bellville.

Irvine works with legislators and interested parties to enact changes to Ohio firearm and self-defense laws. Irvine has worked with candidates to help them better understand the various firearms related interests and disciplines.

Irvine also coordinates work and funding for the Foundation's involvements with education activities and litigation.

For more information about Ohio firearm and self-defense laws visit www.BuckeyeFirearms.org.

November 6, 2012
NRANews.com

November 4, 2012
Armed American Radio

November 1, 2012
Fox News - Debate answer on assault weapons ban could cause problems for Obama

"If there are undecided voters who put the Second Amendment as their first issue, then certainly the president's remark about bringing back any type of gun ban is going to chase away those voters," said Joe Eaton, a regional coordinator with the Buckeye Firearms Association in Ohio.

November 1, 2012
NRANews.com

October 30, 2012
Cincinnati News - House District 52 Campaign Finance Report

Margy Conditt, the incumbent Republican representing Ohio’s House District 52, is holding the purse strings over her Libertarian and Democratic opponents, with more than $50,000 in contributions since the primary, recently released campaign finance documents show.

Her big donors include the Buckeye Firearms Association, which gave $3,231; the Time Warner Cable Ohio PAC, which gave $3,000; the AK Steel PAC, which gave $2,500; and the Realtors PAC, which gave $2,000.

October 25, 2012 The Illinois Shooter - "Why your vote for President matters this year"

October 21, 2012
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

October 19, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Mark Amazon Show"

October 7, 2012
Armed American Radio

October 3, 2012
WSPD 1370 AM's "The Afternoon Drive" radio program

October 1, 2012
NRANews.com

September 30, 2012
Columbus Dispatch - Guns in bars | One year later: 'Carry' fear silenced

Jim Irvine, chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association, says the lack of incidents in the past 12 months is vindication to him that "they're wrong, and we're right, again."

"We're talking about saving people's lives and being able to protect our families," he said. "There's been a bunch of shootings in bars, which is not uncommon. But it's not concealed-carry licensed owners."

Irvine said the number of concealed-carry permit holders in Ohio continues to go up. He attributes that in part to the passage of the guns-in-bars law. "I would guess some people got a license and began carrying regularly because they can carry in a restaurant now."

...Linda Walker, a concealed-carry instructor certified by the National Rifle Association, said she has seen a big increase in the number of women taking firearms training. Most of her classes now have up to 50 percent women, she said.

"Over the years, we've seen a transformation in the thought process on gun ownership," Walker said. "There is an awareness that women's self-defense is very personal."

Asked whether she brings her gun into restaurants, Walker replied, "Absolutely I do."

September 30, 2012
Armed American Radio

September 28, 2012
NRANews.com

September 25, 2012
Columbus Dispatch - Child endangerment: Felony charges possible for dad

Toby Hoover, executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, which lobbies for stricter gun-control laws, said both shootings show that Ohio needs laws to punish gun owners whose firearms fall into the hands of children.

"Gun owners may have all the good intentions in the world, but they don't follow through," Hoover said. "Things like this happen all the time."

But Linda Walker, a spokeswoman for the central Ohio chapter of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said such cases are rare.

"The anti-gun people will always try to put the blame as a whole on everybody," Walker said. "But that would be like blaming all the people who drive vehicles for the actions of one drunk driver."

September 22, 2012
Dayton Daily News - Gun sales at record high

"I think one of the big reasons is the passing of the restaurant carry bill last year," said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association. "That was one of the big reasons people didn't go get a license because they go out to business lunches...and it was illegal to carry in the vast
majority of those places. So, if I can't carry there, it kind of screws up the whole day, so there's no point in getting a license. Now that they can carry at lunch, they can now carry throughout their entire day and now it's worth getting a license. I heard that from a lot of people."

Irvine likened gun owners wanting more guns to those who like shoes: "It's not really a matter of need, it's a matter of want."

Irvine called Obama "by far the most hostile president ever" on Second Amendment issues, though others say Obama hasn't really addressed the topic while in office. "I think the election and the fear of him getting re-elected certainly is driving sales to some extent, too."

September 17, 2012
NRANews.com

September 9, 2012
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

September 7, 2012
Youngstown Vindicator - On the side

Grading the candidates: The Buckeye Firearms Association, a guns-rights political action committee, gave letter grades to candidates throughout the state running for elected office in the fall, based on their votes on gun issues.

Among the locals, state Sen. Capri Cafaro, D-32nd, received an A. Her Republican challenger, Nancy McArthur, also got an A, but her grade was based solely on a questionnaire she filled out.

In the 64th Ohio House District race, state Rep. Tom Letson, the Democratic incumbent, received a D while Randy Law, his Republican challenger and former House member, got an A.

In the 59th Ohio House District race, state Rep. Ronald V. Gerberry, the Democratic incumbent, got a C minus, and his Republican challenger, Kimberly Poma received a C.

State Rep. Robert F. Hagan, D-60th, got a D. Something tells me that Hagan is probably disappointed with his grade, probably preferring an F.

August 30, 2012
WERE 1490 AM (Cleveland) "American Law Radio"

August 25, 2012
"The Big Outdoors" with Chip Hart

August 14, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Scott Sloan Show"

August 12, 2012
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

August 8, 2012
Dayton Daily News - Ohio's CCW permits up, but state trails neighbors

Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said Ohio would rank higher nationally in total permits issued if its law had existed as long as some other states' laws.

"Ohio has only had concealed carry for eight years, whereas lots of states have had it for 15, 20 years plus," Irvine said. "The longer you have it in place, the more people are going to get, so that's part of the reason we don't rank up higher."

"As we clean up the law and make it better, I think we'll see Ohio climb in those numbers," Irvine said. "It's a reflection of where we are in concealed carry, that we're in the bottom half of the country in terms of having a user-friendly law."

August 1, 2012
WSPD 1370 AM's "The Afternoon Drive" radio program

August 2012
America's 1st Freedom magazine

July 28, 2012
WWGK 1540 AM (Cleveland) "The Rick Rantz Radio Show"

July 26, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Mark Amazon Show"

July 25, 2012
WCPN 90.3 FM (Cleveland) "The Sound of Ideas"

July 24, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Big Show with Bill Cunningham"

July 24, 2012
WKRC (CBS Cincinnati) - Martin case sparks local gun debate

July 22, 2012
WHCR 90.3 FM (New York) "Let Your Voice Be Heard! Radio" program

July 21, 2012
Columbus Dispatch - Mood here: Cautious, not scared after Colo. theater shooting

Jim Irvine, the chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association, said more legally armed citizens and better education about handling violent situations can help civilians take action.

"It's not all about guns, it's about a mindset," Irvine said. "It doesn't matter if you're at a baseball game or a shopping mall. We congregate in crowds, and we need to stop thinking, 'It could never happen here.’'"

July 21, 2012
The News-Messenger - Background checks for firearms on the rise

There has been steady movement toward a greater acceptance of guns in society, but that's not the primary driver of gun sales, said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, a gun rights advocacy group.

"I think certainly a fear of what the Obama presidency would do in a second term is a big piece of the puzzle," he said.

July 20, 2012
News Talk 610 WTVN (Columbus)

July 18, 2012
Buckeye Farm News - Should pistol caliber rifles be legalized for deer hunting in Ohio?

Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania all allow rifle hunting in one form or another, the Buckeye Firearms Association noted in a proposal to legalize pistol caliber rifles for deer hunting in Ohio.

But the organization is quick to point out that these guns are not high powered rifles.
“There is a negative perception with pistol caliber rifles because people don't get past the word rifle without thinking high powered,” said Dan Allen, a Buckeye Firearms volunteer.

According to Aaron Kirkingburg, a Buckeye Firearms leader, pistol caliber rifles are similar to pistols, with a longer barrel and a stock for stability. The group acknowledges that perception is an issue and that some education will be necessary.

"This is a tool for keeping the deer population under control and the pistol cartridge rifle is an easy, effective and inexpensive tool that appeals to many," Kirkingburg said.

"These guns have a reduced recoil and are lighter, which appeals to women, youth and those with medical conditions," Allen said. "My father has a pacemaker; therefore, he cannot use a shotgun, but he could use a pistol caliber rifle."

They also emphasized that private property owners have the final say of what hunters can use when hunting on their property.

"Ultimately the decision is up to the property owner, and if they don't want hunting on their property with pistol caliber rifles they can make that a rule for their property," Allen said.

July 12, 2012
NRANews.com

July 9, 2012
Toledo Blade - Ohio lets gun owners get licenses elsewhere

Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said there are a number of reasons Ohio residents apply for and receive out-of-state licenses. He said his organization strongly recommends that all Ohio residents receive an in-state license but said he understands why some don't.

The main reason gun owners obtain out-of-state licenses is that places such as Florida have reciprocity agreements with more states than Ohio, so a traveler is legal to carry in more states, he said. Other reasons include avoiding the possibility of news media publishing lists of permit holders.

There are some, he acknowledged, that may apply in other states to avoid Ohio's training requirements.

To obtain a permit in Ohio, a person must undergo 12 hours of training and pass a written and practical exam as well as a background check. In a state such as Florida, a license may be given to qualifying people who have passed a background check and an approved firearms or hunters' safety course.

Mr. Irvine said although he is an advocate for training, he believes that it is Ohio's strict training requirements that make permits inaccessible to many because of the time and financial burdens.

Recognizing that concealed-carry permits can be a polarizing issue, Mr. Irvine said the goal of the states should be to create laws that won't hinder law-abiding gun owners.

"You're still going to have the criminals out there," he said. " … People who carry concealed handguns, they stay updated on the law. If they don't and screw up, they go to jail."

July 7, 2012
Toledo Blade - Indiana Ave. residents: Gunfire quite common

Linda Walker, the central Ohio chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said Ms. Huddleston has the law on her side in this situation, and the police are legally required to return her firearm if they do not intend to charge her with a crime.

"In the U.S., you can't confiscate someone's legally owned firearm without having, first and foremost, been arrested and then convicted of something," Ms. Walker said.

Because Ms. Huddleston did not recognize a police officer at her door, and thought she was firing at a burglar, Ms. Walker said police need to return the gun.

"As long as she doesn't have a felony background, then she's a law-abiding citizen, and they've got to return her firearm to her if she wants it," Ms. Walker said.

June 29, 2012
The News-Herald - Rep. LaTourette "no" and "yes" votes on Holder contempt charges confuses gun owners

"Washington has enough political theater and I would rather have a judge compel the Attorney General to hand over the documents and take whatever action those documents indicate is appropriate," LaTourette said.

Even so, not all firearms owners are comfortable, let alone, happy, with LaTourette's seeimgly yin and yang Holder-associated votes.

Buckeye Firearms Association chairman Jim Irvine says he "respectively disagrees with the Congressman."

"Holder is this country's supreme law enforcement officer, and a criminal," Irvine said. "We can't wait; not with this Attorney General."

Irvine says that Holder is in this particular legal pickle because of his relationship to "the cover-up" that has both riveted and also has been a distraction inside Washington's Beltway and outside.

"This is an incredibly serious issue and it must be looked at that way," Irvine said.

As to any possible fall-out from his pro-Second Amendment constituents, LaTourette may very well have to cross that bridge if not sooner than certainly later when he comes up for reelection on Nov. 6, Irvine says.

"Yes, I think the Congressman's vote will have an impact but it's too early to tell by how much," Irvine said.

June 24, 2012
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

June 18, 2012
NRANews.com

June 17, 2012
Columbus Dispatch - Ohio House gives gun-rights advocates another win

Linda Walker, central Ohio chairwoman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, basically agreed.

"Each bill on which we've run over the years eventually has passed," she said.

"We've built relationships in the Statehouse. Anyone who values the Constitution, as our forefathers wrote it, they see the flaws with Ohio's firearms laws. Our job is to restore the Second Amendment to what it was."

The string of successes began with passage of the concealed-carry law in 2006[sic], followed by laws restricting access to concealed-carry records and overriding municipal gun-control ordinances (2007); the so-called "castle doctrine" (2008), and guns in bars and restaurants (2011).

The only minor setback — and Walker doesn't consider it one — came with passage of a law banning concealed compartments in motor vehicles. Aimed at drug smugglers, the law was revised to accommodate the concerns of gun owners.

June 13, 2012
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Concealed handgun license rewrite passes Ohio House

The bill -- which is supported by the National Rifle Association and the Buckeye Firearms Association -- now moves to the Ohio Senate for consideration. With state lawmakers headed home for summer break, the bill is likely to remain in the Senate until late in the year.

June 13, 2012
Columbus Dispatch - Training rule may be eased for those renewing concealed-carry permits

"This isn't ground-shaking," said Linda Walker, the central Ohio chairwoman for the Buckeye Firearms Association. "We're cleaning up legislation."

...Yesterday, pro-gun groups such as the National Rifle Association and the Buckeye Firearms Association gave testimony in support of the bill.

June 10, 2012
55KRC (Cincinnati) "Think Talk Radio"

June 6, 2012
The People's Defender - Johnson endorsed with rare 'A+' rating

Rick Jones, Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA) Region Leader, announced that Ohio State Representative Dr. Terry Johnson has been awarded a coveted endorsement rating. Johnson is the 89th District incumbent serving in his first two year term. He is running for election to the new 90th District, formed in the recent redistricting. The 90th District will include all of Adams, Scioto and a portion of Lawrence Counties.

The BFA is a political action committee dedicated to defending and advancing the right of Ohio citizens to own and use firearms for all legal activities, including self-defense, hunting, competition, and recreation.

"We work to elect pro-gun candidates and lobby for pro-gun legislation," Jones said. "Endorsements from Buckeye Firearms are not "given" to candidates, they are earned! With his diligent dedication to protecting and advancing our Second Amendment rights, Representative Johnson has more than earned this endorsement from the BFA. It is my pleasure and honor to announce that he has been endorsed for the office of Ohio Representative in the 90th District. Not only has he earned that endorsement, he has also received an "A+" rating, something that very, very few have or will ever receive."

June 3, 2012
Cincinnati Enquirer - What police chief can, can't do

When told Craig does not have an Ohio Peace Officer Training Certification, Ken Hanson, an Ohio attorney and author of "The Ohio Guide to Firearms Laws," said Craig doesn't meet the definition of an Ohio peace officer but does meet the definition of an Ohio law enforcement officer. Craig was hired by Cincinnati to lead the police department and passed required firearm certification last September, factors that would qualify Craig to carry a weapon just about anywhere, Hanson said. He said the perception of a problem might be there, "but as far as legality, it's just a very murky, nuanced issue."

Hanson said he would think the city should be more concerned with Craig doing things like "signing a criminal complaint, applying for a search warrant, any commissioning of officers or reserves." Those actions could result in costly lawsuits against the city, Hanson warned.

May 27, 2012
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Patrons carrying guns in Ohio bars: Whatever happened to ...?

Jim Irvine of the Buckeye Firearms Association, which supported the measure, said he never considered the law very controversial because of the many states that already allowed guns in bars.

"We did not expect any great change and that's really what we've seen," he said. "It's much ado about nothing."

May 26 - 29, 2012
Gannett Company (nine Ohio newspapers) - Concealed carry law variations create confusion

Johnson's bill also changes the definition of a "loaded firearm in a vehicle." Currently, if a magazine is loaded and the matching weapon is in the vehicle, it's considered loaded, and thus illegal. The bill proposes that the magazine must be inserted into the weapon for it to be considered loaded.

This creates a problem for shooting ranges. It takes considerable time to load the magazines, and current law won't allow people to load them at home before going to the range, said Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association.

...A spokesman for state Rep. Matt Lundy, D-Elyria, who sits on the committee considering the bill, said there likely will be little opposition to the bill from Democrats on the committee. Irvine doesn't expect much either.

"My hope is that this is one of those bills that even people who aren't gun people will see that it's really about fixing problems in the law," Irvine said. "I don't see anything in it that's controversial."

May 20, 2012
Columbus Dispatch - Outdoors: A few sportsmen make suggestions

A total of 57 comments supported allowing the use of rifles and/or pistol-caliber long guns to hunt deer in Ohio. Three opposed, and one suggested the use of such firearms should be restricted to the hill country of southeastern Ohio.

Letters of support for rifles and long guns, solicited by the Buckeye Firearms Association, were received from Butler County Sportsmen and the Woods and Waters Club of Northern Ohio.

May 14, 2012
NRANews.com

May 12, 2012
Cleveland Plain Dealer - Editorial: GOP state legislators' zeal for guns could wound Romney

Ken Hanson, legislative director for the Buckeye Firearms Association, is unapologetic about the direction Ohio's headed, saying most of our neighboring states have "significantly lower standards" for gun owners.

"The definition of 'too far' is always in the eye of the beholder," said Hanson.

Hanson also seemed unimpressed by opposition from police officials in places like Cleveland and Dayton.

"My general reaction is the police have squandered their credibility on this, to a certain extent," he said. "Police get their powers from the people. We don't get our rights from them. The positions they stake out are just out of step with reality."

May 2, 2012
NRANews.com

May 2, 2012
NRANews.com

April 29, 2012
Dayton Daily News - Bringing you both sides: Our gun laws - does Ohio need a 'stand your ground' law?

April 22, 2012
Dayton Daily News - Concealed carry rules loosen; permits on rise

Gun advocates had been working with Ohio lawmakers to pass a "Stand Your Ground" law similar to what Florida has, said Jim Irvine, spokesman for the pro-gun Buckeye Firearms Association, though he noted that the Martin case "put a chill on it."

The 17-year-old Martin was shot to death in Florida on Feb. 26 after an encounter with armed neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman, 28, who faces trial on a charge of second-degree murder.

Irving said the gun lobby in Ohio has been successful for two reasons.

"Number one is the facts are on our side," he said. "We were the last state to adopt concealed carry so we were not breaking any new ground here. The other piece is gun owners, particularly concealed carry owners, are politically active."

...For now, Irvine said, the priority for gun rights advocates is House Bill 495, which would streamline permit renewals and expand 'reciprocity' by automatically recognizing permits issued by all other states.

Currently, the attorney general may sign reciprocity agreements only with other states that have substantially similar training requirements for their CCW permit holders. Ohio has agreements with 23 states. House Bill 495 would expand it to include 48 states.

April 18, 2012
Columbus Dispatch - Car's secret compartment OK, if it's for a gun - NRA, state group lobbied for changes to anti-drug bill

The National Rifle Association and Buckeye Firearms Association said yesterday that a new version of the legislation — advocated by Gov. John Kasich to slow down drug smuggling — no longer could cause potential problems for gun owners.

"What originally could have been an unintended threat to gun owners has been modified to provide explicit protection to persons doing nothing more than securing their firearms in their vehicles," Ken Hanson, legislative chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, wrote in a letter distributed at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Senate Bill 305 now would exempt hidden containers that are manufactured or advertised to be used to secure valuables, electronics or guns in vehicles. The bill also was "refocused," Hanson said, to require prosecutors to prove that hidden compartments are used with the intent to transport drugs.

April 15, 2012
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

April 15, 2012
NRANews.com

April 12, 2012
WDTN (NBC Dayton) - Martin case sparks local gun debate

"If you were victimized standing right here you do not have the assumption you acted in self-defense. You are sitting in your car and you're victimized you are assumed to have acted in self-defense," says Joe Eaton, Buckeye Firearms Association.

Eaton says he sees the day coming when Ohio will adopt a "Stand Your Ground" law because he says it only makes sense.

April 10, 2012
The Marion Star - GOP event features gun rights attorney

The public is invited to join the Marion County Republican Club on April 16 at 7 p.m. as they will host Second Amendment Attorney [and Buckeye Firearms Association Legislative Chair] Ken Hanson.

Hanson champions Second Amendment and gun rights, according to a press release.

Seating is limited for the event being held at GOP headquarters, 114 S. Main St.

He will present information onlegislation pending in the Ohio General Assembly, areas where Ohio's firearm laws are still lagging, the history of Second Amendment litigation in the federal courts and the current status of Second Amendment litigation and the likely road ahead.

In addition, Hanson will share information about what could happen during an Obama second term; Operation Fast and Furious - background and what it really was about; executive orders and treaties that threaten Second Amendment rights; and the Supreme Court and federal court nominations.

Hanson will share viewpoints from inside the mind of the gun-issue voter, and will issue a call to arms for all Second Amendment supporters.

March 27, 2012
The Lantern - Will Stand Your Ground law come to Ohio?

Lobbyist Jim Irvine of Buckeye Firearms Association said that people, especially students with a concealed carry permit, should weigh their options before using deadly force.

"Just because you have the legal authority to shoot someone doesn't make that it is a good decision," Irvine said. "You don't ever want to be involved in a shooting that you can avoid."

April 2, 2012
WOUB (PBS Athens) - Ohio Grapples With "Stand Your Ground Law"

"What we want to do is give an extra tool to the crime victim to allow them to stand up and defend themselves legally," said Jim Irvine, a lobbyist for the Buckeye Firearms Association.

If someone breaks into your home or vehicle in Ohio, you have the right to use deadly force if you feel that your life is in danger.

But unlike Florida's Stand Your Ground law, cited in the death of Trayvon Martin, that right doesn't extend past your own property.

Irvine has been working with lawmakers to draft legislation that would bring a version of Stand Your Ground to Ohio.

He says this type of legislation relies on learning from other states.

"Where they have laws that work well, copy that. Where they have problems, fix those problems so that it works better in Ohio," said Irvine.

March 27, 2012
WSYX (ABC Columbus) - Effort Under Way In Ohio To Enact 'Stand Your Ground Law'

Lobbyist Jim Irvine of the Buckeye Firearms Association said that he wanted to make it easier for people like Moore to defend themselves out on the streets.

For the past six years, Irvine said, he has worked to get lawmakers to pass a "Stand Your Ground" law. He said that he wanted to change the law so that people who had to defend themselves would not have to worry about a prosecutor.

"We don't want them to have to be on the defensive again from an over-zealous prosecutor who doesn't think this person should use a gun or doesn't think this person should be able to defend their life," Irvine said.

...Irvine said that he was not sure if the bill would be introduced at the Ohio Statehouse this session, but he said that some Ohio lawmakers have shown interest in expanding Ohio's current laws.

March 27, 2012
WSYX (ABC Columbus) - 'Stand Your Ground' Under Microscope in Ohio

Advocates against gun violence hope a controversial shooting case in Florida is enough to stop a push for a "Stand Your Ground" law in Ohio.

Meanwhile, representatives for the Buckeye Firearms Association, expect discussions to continue.

"I see that eventually coming down the road for Ohio," said Linda Walker, central Ohio chairwoman for the Buckeye Firearms Association.

...Walker said she doesn't expect the Buckeye Firearms Association to abandon plans for a Stand Your Ground law based on the Martin case because, "You should never have to run away from your aggressor."

March 27, 2012
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette - Ohio might pursue 'Stand Your Ground' legislation

Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said the organization has had discussions with Republican lawmakers about introducing a Stand Your Ground law in Ohio but was unable to say who would sponsor it.

This law would apply to any situation in which someone thought his or her life was in danger, not just when the threatened individual is at home or in his or her vehicle.

State Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, R-Napoleon, said he might co-sponsor legislation to bring Stand Your Ground to Ohio, but he also was unable to say who the lead sponsor would be.

Drafting a Stand Your Ground law would mean defining what it means to have your life threatened, Irvine said.

"It has to be a reasonable fear of one's life or grave bodily harm at the time the event took place," Irvine said.

March 23, 2012
Kentucky Post - 'Stand Your Ground': What's the self-defense law near you?

"Florida laws specifically says that the Castle Doctrine or the 'Stand Your Ground" legislation, enacted anywhere that you're legally allowed to be, whether that's in your home or your automobile, your business, walking down the street, sitting in the park," said Joe Eaton, Southwestern Ohio leader for the Buckeye Firearms Association.

In Ohio, that protection only exists inside your home. In a situation like the one that happened in Florida, you have a duty to flee.

...However, Eaton said that you still have the right to defend yourself outside of your home in Ohio, but you have to prove self-defense.

March 16, 2012
Ohio Outdoor News - Too quick to assign blame in light of tragedy

The Buckeye Firearms Association's chairman Jim Irvine said both sides of the debate want the same thing - safe schools and an end to firearms violence.

The disagreement lies in how the two approach the issue, Irvine said.

To that end, the pro-Second Amendment group posted on its website this remarkably calm opinion: "In the wake of this latest school violence tragedy, many will inevitably ask 'How can we stop these events from happening?' While there are preventative measures that can and should be undertaken to 'harden' the target, asking how we can stop these vents is ultimately akin to asking, 'What can we do so people are never mad, upset, distraught or troubled?' The simple answer is that, ultimately, we can't."

Another posting on the Council's website correctly noted: "In the days and weeks ahead people will line up to assign blame; politicians will try to win votes with rhetoric and anti-gunners will blame guns. People always want to assign blame, whether it's the parents who raised the shooter or teachers, counselors, television shows, video games, the suppliers of whatever weapon was used or the media. None of them is to blame. The blame lies with the person who carries out the violent crime and no one else."

March 5, 2012
NRANews.com

February 28, 2012
"The Voice of Russia" radio program

February 27, 2012
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

February 21, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Eddie & Tracy Show"

February 21, 2012
WHIZ (NBC Zanesville) - Concealed Carry License Increase

One in thirty-two adults are carrying a concealed weapon in the State of Ohio according to the Buckeye Firearms Association.

Attorney General Mike DeWine recently released the concealed handgun license statistics for the 4th quarter of 2011. Ohio sheriff's set a new record for CHL's in that quarter with 12,000 issued.

It's the busiest 4th quarter in the program's eight year history. That's a 12 percent increase in demand from the same period in 2010.

By the end of 2011 over 265,000 Ohio residents were licensed to carry concealed handguns. Experts estimate the number will likely approach 300,000 by the end of this year.

February 14, 2012
NRANews.com

February 14, 2012
WKEF (ABC Dayton) - Pro-Gun Group Thanks Starbucks

People from the Buckeye Firearms Association made a special stop at Starbucks today, for more than just coffee. The group is taking time to thank the popular coffee chain for letting them have their concealed carry weapons inside.

Starbucks is one of the few stores that allows concealed carry weapons. Today, anti-gun groups said they would boycott the chain. In return, people who support gun rights put on their own "anti-boycott."

"They're going to boycott starbucks, basically for allowing us to exercise our rights, our civil rights and 2nd ammendment rights, we're here to show our support," said Sean Maloney from the Buckey Firearms Association.

February 11, 2012
"The Big Outdoors" with Chip Hart

February 9, 2012
WCMH (NBC Columbus) - Powell Police Investigate Break-In At The Powder Room

Linda Walker is the Ohio chair of the Buckeye Firearms Association.

"To know now there's 80 guns out there being possessed by yet another criminal is very unfortunate. I mean, we never want to see that," Walker said.

NBC4 spoke with Walker about the claim some make that stolen guns can sometimes lead to more violence against police officers.

"I mean we don't know what the outcome of where these guns are going to end up at. To speculate that they're going to be used against police officers? I don't see a place for that right now," Walker said.

February 3, 2012
NRANews.com

February 3, 2012
Dayton Daily News - Handgun ownership rising among women

[Many] women feel vulnerable to crime because they feel physically outmatched by men, said Linda Walker, Central Ohio Chair of the Buckeye Firearms Association. But Walker said possessing a gun changes the situation and gives women an advantage. "I think women are becoming awakened to the fact that their own self-defense is in their own hands, and they can't wait for a husband, boyfriend or police officer to protect them," Walker said. "Women know that when seconds matter, police are minutes away."

February 2, 2012
The Miami Student - House bills could dilute gun laws

Buckeye Firearms Southwest Ohio Chair Joe Eaton views the proposed bills differently. "Both of the bills are going to have my support personally as they will go a long way into cleaning up Ohio's laws," Eaton said. "Right now, criminals are being made out of law abiding people and these bills will help areas that have been tripping up license permit carriers in Ohio.

January 28, 2012
"Buckeye Sportsman" with Dan Armitage

January 27, 2012
WLW 700 AM (Cincinnati) "The Mark Amazon Show"

January 26, 2012
Oxford Press - Gun bills expected to spark debate

Joe Eaton, southwest Ohio chair of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said his organization fully supports both bills. The notification law will unburden law abiding drivers, for example, who might be flustered from a fender bender and forget to notify an officer. Those people should not face criminal charges, he said. No other drivers have to remember a checklist of things the law requires them to do, he said.

"Studies have shown that overall license holders are several times more law abiding than the average population is," Eaton said. "Having these pitfalls for the license-holders out there is something we would like to see rolled back."

As for storing a weapon in a car parked in a state government building, he said citizens own those structures and should be able to carry protection on that property.

"Being able to store your firearm in your car while you're visiting the statehouse, that just seems like that should be a slam dunk to have that passed," he said. "Again we're talking about honest license holders. Anyone who is looking to use a firearm for criminal activity is not going to worry about the signs or restrictions."

January 23, 2012
WDTN (NBC Dayton) - Protecting your home: What the law says

Police are still piecing together what happened inside a Burbank Drive home Saturday that left a female teenage burglary suspect dead, but if things unfolded like the homeowner says the law is on his side.

"The criminal decided to break in and trespass and at that time they were unlawfully in the house and Ohio law says the homeowner had the right to use the self defense they chose to," says Joe Eaton with the Buckeye Firearms Association.

But it wasn't always that way in Ohio and even now confusion exists about the law.

So 2 NEWS asked the Buckeye Firearms Association to better explain what's know as 'Castle Doctrine'.

They tell us the changes they pushed that were signed into law in 2008 do two things.

One is the criminal can't sue you for defending yourself.

"If you're harmed during that felony or misdemeanor you don't have any civil recourse to the person who brought you harm and your family has no civil recourse," Eaton says about the person committing the crime.

The second change is that the burden is now on the prosecutor to prove you weren't acting in self defense rather than on you to prove that you were.

Those with the Buckeye Firearms Association say it's hard enough for people in these cases without having to refute a murder or manslaughter charge.

"When you go through a situation like this where you're forced to defend yourself, it's one of the most horrendous circumstances you could find yourself in," Eaton says.

The law applies to any form of self-defense not just guns, but at the Vandalia Range and Armory, concealed carry classes are popular because of people who want to be able to defend themselves.

"Everybody has to make their own decision about how they plan to keep their family safe," Eaton says.

Prosecutors will make the final decision on whether or not to bring charges against the homeowner.

January 22, 2012
WBZI 1500 AM's "The Great Outdoors" radio program

January 11, 2012
WCMH (NBC Columbus) - Grand Jury: No Indictment For Man Claiming Self Defense

"The laws have worked for him and he's been acquitted, so we are thrilled about the outcome of this case," said Linda Walker, spokesperson for Buckeye Firearms Association.

January 10, 2012
WBNS (CBS Columbus) - Clintonville Man Charged For Having Gun In New York

Linda Walker, a member of the Buckeye Firearms Association which lobbies for gun laws in Ohio, said that ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it.

"This gentleman potentially could be looking at 15 to 45 years in New York for something totally lawful in Ohio," Walker said.

January 7, 2012
WEWS (ABC Cleveland) - http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/cleveland_metro/the-buckeye-state-caps-off-another-banner-year-for-the-sale-of-fire-arms

Jim Irvine is Chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association. He said people are more well informed than they were 20 years ago. Irvine also equates it to having insurance. You may not have needed it in the past. You may never need it. If you do need it it will be there for you.

January 2, 2012
USA Today - Record gun checks, sales for Christmas

Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, cited several reasons, including "relaxed conceal-and-carry laws in Ohio, more women learning about guns and the pro-gun message resonating," the Daily News writes.

"Owning a gun for self-defense is like owning a fire extinguisher or smoke detectors for safety," Irvine said. "All of the fears about all of the nonsense about guns, they're really myths that are falling by the wayside."

January 1, 2012
Dayton Daily News - Gun purchases continue record climb in Ohio

Jim Irvine, chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said the increase is tied to several reasons, including relaxed conceal-and-carry laws in Ohio, more women learning about guns and the pro-gun message resonating.

"Owning a gun for self-defense is like owning a fire extinguisher or smoke detectors for safety," Irvine said. "All of the fears about all of the nonsense about guns, they're really myths that are falling by the wayside.

"Lots of people buy (guns as) Christmas gifts or put it on their Christmas list, like, 'Hey, you know I've been looking at this gun. I like it.'"