MAHONING VALLEY O'Connor's visit focuses on reducing harm of terrorism

There have been no credible terrorist threats in Ohio, the lieutenant governor says.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Even under the best of circumstances, this country will be the victim of future terrorist attacks, said Lt. Gov. Maureen O'Connor, who coordinates Ohio's homeland security.
"Our responsibility is to mitigate and reduce the harm," she said Wednesday during an interview with The Vindicator. "Even if we have the best system of detecting and deterring terrorism, it will still happen."
O'Connor said she knows of no credible terrorist threats in Ohio, but the state is not taking any chances.
Ohio plans to use federal money to better secure the state's water sources as well as develop a second state laboratory to analyze potential anthrax among other things, she said.
O'Connor also says the state plans to make it more difficult to obtain birth certificates, which can be used by terrorists to establish phony identities.
"We have one of the most lax laws [in the country] for getting birth certificates," she said. "You can go to any department of health in the state and get access to birth certificates for $7."
Free gun locks
O'Connor also is promoting a national program to distribute gun locks through June to gun owners. The state wants to give out 50,000 gun locks this month through the federal Project Home Safe program.
"A large number of Ohioans have guns in their homes; more people have guns than we suspect," she said.
Once placed on guns, the locks -- which sell for $10 but are free through this program -- make it so the weapons cannot be discharged.
There is no connection between the gun lock program and the governor's office's position on a concealed carry law, which is being considered by the state Senate, O'Connor said.
Gov. Bob Taft will not sign a concealed carry law unless it is supported by law enforcement, a position O'Connor endorses.
O'Connor is leaving the lieutenant gubernatorial position at the end of this year and will run for a vacant seat on the Ohio Supreme Court during the November general election.
The former Summit County prosecutor and common pleas court judge said she enjoys her job as lieutenant governor, but it has always been her goal to return to the bench.
The Supreme Court seat, being vacated by Judge Andrew Douglas because of the court's age restriction, is the perfect opportunity to be a judge again, O'Connor said.
O'Connor declined to discuss her position on the controversial state school funding issue that has been tied up in the courts for years saying as a candidate, she is not permitted to talk about it.
But O'Connor admits she does have an opinion on the subject.
skolnick@vindy.com