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.

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 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!

Governor Sarah Palin, candidate for Vice President and 2008 Buckeye Firearms Association-endorsee, will appear at four Road to Victory Rallies in Canton, Marietta, Columbus and Owensville this Sunday!

By A.W.R. Hawkins

With the 2008 presidential election upon us, the National Rifle Association is making their case against Barack Obama. They unflinchingly describe him as “the most anti-gun presidential candidate in American history” and have dedicated large sums of money to exposing his anti-gun agenda.

An in-depth look at his record justifies their position. Not only is Obama the economic socialist Rush Limbaugh has said he is, he is also a gun-banning associate of 1960s radicals who cannot wait to take away one of America’s greatest freedoms - the right to keep and bear arms.

Buckeye Firearms Association has just received word from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) that the NO GUNS signs at state rest stops have been ordered removed. In the telephone call to Buckeye Firearms Association Leader and NRA Election Volunteer Coordinator Rick Jones, ODOT stated that their legal department has confirmed with multiple state departments that the signs are to be removed.

This action is in response to passage and implementation of Senate Bill 184, which included several major fixes to Ohio's concealed handgun licensure law, including a change designed to allow patrons of rest stops to use the facilities without having to disarm.

The law took effect September 3, but concealed handgun licensees (CHL’s) continued to report seeing the problematic signs at highway rest stops.

Last week, Buckeye Firearms Association exposed Chairman Chris Redfern and the Ohio Democratic Party financing of two deceptive anti-gun mailers attacking State Representative Ross McGregor's vote for Ohio's Castle Doctrine bill, SB184.

We pointed out that 75 percent of the Ohio General Assembly voted in favor of this law, which ensures Ohioans' right to defend themselves and their children from violent criminals - criminals who don't care about "No Guns" signs. And we pointed out that a majority of Ohio Democratic Party's own caucus members in the House, including Chairman Redfern himself, voted for this popular legislation, and that a supportive Democrat governor, Ted Strickland, enthusiastically signed it into law.

On Sunday, we took our message to the voters in McGregor's House District 72, in the form of an advertisement in Clark County's Springfield News-Sun.

This week, thousands of voters in House District 72 are receiving two gun-related mailers - including one from Buckeye Firearms Association that sets the record straight.