Unfunded mandate claims ring hollow in Clermont County

April 12, 2004
WCPO.com

300 In Clermont County Want Concealed Carry Permits

The response to Ohio's new concealed carry law has been overwhelming.

Clermont County reports 300 people have applied for concealed carry permits.

But Sheriff Rodenburg said no permits have been issued yet.

He said the state computer the department uses to do criminal background checks has been down possibly because it is overwhelmed.

Hamilton County issued its first concealed weapons permit Monday.

It went to Chuck Klein, a private investigator and writer who was one of four who filed suit challenging Ohio's law concealed carry law.

Commentary:
To hear the Youngstown Vindicator tell it, overall turnout for applications has been less than initially predicted by the Ohio Attorney General's Office. Many obviously are choosing not to deal with the first-day lines, the confusion, etc. This news from Clermont Co. confirms that when sheriffs make it easy to apply, people come.

Still, it is clear that the hardships some sheriffs are enforcing on applicants (in some cases in clear violation of the law), may in fact be hampering the number of applicants. OFCC is continuing to gather reports of problems, and will be making a report to the Buckeye State Sheriff's Association after the first full week of taking applications is behind us.

This news from Clermont Co. also makes it clear that, far from being an "unfunded mandate", Ohio's concealed handgun license law, designed to be revenue neutral, may actually generate significant revenue for the Sheriff's offices. 300 applications will likely cover this sheriff's initial costs - all in the first day!

Ohio's law-abiding sheriffs deserve it! For far too long, the Ohio State Highway Patrol has been winning best-dressed awards while Sheriffs have been left to beg for hand-me-down uniforms. This simply should not be.

As proof of the likelihood of revenue generation, look no further than the Ohio Attorney General's office, which is holding a public hearing in preparation for creating rules to govern "what to do" with the revenue Ohio's Right to Carry law generates for sheriffs. Click here to download a press release in .pdf format.