Thanks in large part to having run so many pro-gun candidates in key districts, Democrats will hold a slim majority next year in the Ohio House.

The House Democratic caucus has chosen Rep. Armond Budish (D-08) as the next House speaker. He will replace Republican Jon Husted when the 128th General Assembly is formed in January.

It is an encouraging sign that, despite a change in party leadership, a majority of House leadership positions in the chamber will continue to be held by Buckeye Firearms Association endorsees.

First case in Ohio involving new restitution value for white-tailed deer

Chillicothe, OH - Two men convicted of the illegal taking of white-tailed deer have been ordered to pay restitution of $12,988 according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

The Honorable Judge Thomas E. Bunch presided and assistant law director Michele Route prosecuted today over the first case in the State involving white-tailed deer restitution under Ohio's revised restitution law. The law went into effect March 2008 and allows the Ohio Division of Wildlife to seek an increased recovery value on all illegally harvested wildlife.

Cory A. Posey, 19, of South Salem has pled guilty to charges of taking a deer with a rifle, deterring an officer, taking a deer after hours, and taking more than one buck in a license year. Posey will pay $100 in fines, additional court costs, and $6,494 in restitution. He will serve 200 hours of community service, five years of community control and hunting privileges suspended for five years.

Kyle E. Kruger, 20, of Washington Court House has pled guilty to charges of spotlighting, deterring an officer, and aiding an individual in the unlawful taking of a wild animal. Kruger will pay $100 in fines, additional court costs, and $6,494 in restitution. He will serve 200 hours of community service, five years of community control and hunting privileges suspended for five years.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife has announced that it will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the development of the Mobility Impaired Hunting Access Area at Lake La Su An Wildlife Area on Friday, November 21.

The event will begin at 10 AM at this state wildlife area near Montpelier in Williams County. The ceremony will take place off of County Road S, approximately 1 and 3/4 miles east of SR 49. The public is invited to attend.

This event comes as a result of passage of Senate Bill 209, which addressed issues that Buckeye Firearms Association volunteer Bob Harsanje and Region Leader Larry S. Moore had been working on together.

For more information, see:

• HB473: Aiding mobility-impaired hunters
• Mobility-Impaired Disabled Hunter Access
• BFA on hand as Gov. Ted Strickland signs bill expanding opportunities for mobility-impaired hunters

By Linda Walker

Buckeye Firearms, in conjunction with Big Darby Shooting Range and Pickaway County Sportsmen, Inc., hosted a first-ever ladies only IDPA match on Sunday.

Sixteen ladies braved the bitter cold to come out for an afternoon of shooting at Big Darby Shooting Range, located in West Jefferson, Ohio.

On October 30, Buckeye Firearms Association was pleased to report that the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) had ordered all NO GUNS signs at state rest stops to be removed.

Buckeye Firearms Association has just received word that Chief Legal Counsel Cathy Cola Perkins has confirmed that "the signs will be coming down in the visitor centers as well."

By Dean Rieck

Click here to buy this shirt.

You can't change people's minds about guns by arguing with them. But you can change their minds with a t-shirt. How? Read on.

Take a moment to think about how you came to believe what you do about guns. Did someone confront you? Did a gun enthusiast get in your face and scream facts and statistics until you were forced to concede?

I am a marketing consultant and make a living by selling things to people. To do this, I must be a student of human behavior. One of the most important things I have learned over the years is that people make decisions emotionally, not logically. Logic and reasoning are used to justify a decision previously arrived at emotionally.

This means people arrive at their beliefs through exposure to positive or negative experiences, through family, friends, work, church, media, or other means. In addition, views are formed voluntarily, even subconsciously, not by confrontation or argumentation. In fact, when people are questioned or challenged about their beliefs, the tendency is to dig in, fight back, and become even more convinced of what is already believed.

By Jim Irvine

State law requires all political action committees to file regular reports on where their money comes from and how it is spent. This information becomes public record and is available to you online. Buckeye Firearms Associations has a full disclosure policy on our finances. We want you to know how frugal and careful we are with your donations.

In keeping with our commitment to keep you informed of how we invest your money, I'd like to provide some analysis of our 2008 pre-general campaign finance report.

This report was far and away the biggest report we have ever filed. That is a testament to you, our supporters. Many people believe in our mission – defending and advancing the right of Ohio citizens to own and use firearms for all legal activities, electing pro-gun candidates and lobbying for pro-gun legislation – and more and more people also believe in the leaders of Buckeye Firearms Association and our ability to fulfill that mission.

You have voted with your dollars, and we are grateful.

By Jim Irvine

Election Day 2008 is finally here. Today we learn if we worked hard enough over the past few months to enable our candidates to win.

If our candidates win, we can work with them to improve our laws. If not, then we are we need to take a long hard look in the mirror to see where we failed. Then we'll need to work desperately hard to hold on to our recent gains.

Don’t believe the media and the polls. Get out and vote. There will be several elections so close that a recount will be required. Some elections will turn on less that 1% of the vote. In past years we have seen many elections decided by a few hundred votes, some by a couple dozen. It is impossible to predict which races will be this close ahead of time, so it’s important that all gun owners get out and vote. Think of it as drafting your team for next season.

Governor Sarah Palin, candidate for Vice President and 2008 Buckeye Firearms Association-endorsee, will appear at her last Ohio Road to Victory Rally in Lakewood this Monday!