OH MY! Columbus ABC's Tom Sussi "breaks" old news on out-of-state CCW licenses

Judging by his performance, WSYX (Columbus ABC) reporter Tom Sussi believed he really had a major story when he "broke" the news that the training requirements to obtain concealed carry licenses from different states have different training requirements.

Last week, Sussi breathlessly reported that he had obtained an out-of-state Arizona license to carry a firearm without having taken any range training.

This clearly was meant to scare WSYX viewers. But his "investigative report" was missing a key element that speaks volumes about how insignificant this "breaking news" actually is....

He didn't mention even ONE incident where a person licensed in this way by another state has caused problems here in Ohio.

Not. Even. One.

As Fraternal Order of Police's Mike Weinman admitted on camera, citizens have been carrying on out-of-state licenses in the state of Ohio "for years." If this was causing some sort of problem, you can bet that Weinman would have given examples, and Sussi would have included them in his report.

But there were no such examples given, because there haven't been any problems. Just like there are no problems in Indiana, where citizens have been able obtain a concealed carry license with no range training requirement since 1934, and just like there aren't any problems in the growing number of "Constitutional Carry" states, such as Arizona.

All this report really proves is that Ohio's requirements are a lot more stringent than they need to be. Pro-gun rights legislators should take this as motivation to reduce or eliminate mandatory training requirements in Ohio altogether, as Sussi's report once again highlights that Ohio gun laws are tragically out of date.

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