CONCEALED-CARRY LAW Official expects many will want gun permits

Petro cited Michigan's similar situation.
By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- Ohio's top legal officer predicts an onslaught of potential applicants for permits allowing qualified Ohioans to carry hidden handguns once the law becomes effective next week.
Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro said Thursday he estimated "about 100,000 applicants in the next six months" will apply for the concealed-carry permits after the new law becomes effective April 8.
Of those, Petro, a Republican, estimated about 95 percent would meet the requirements necessary for a concealed handgun permit.
In Michigan
Petro said his estimates were not based on any hard data, but he said the state of Michigan experienced an onslaught of applicants after a similar law became effective there.
According to news reports, within one year of the passage of similar legislation in Michigan, 71,000 residents attended certification training programs.
John Hohenwarter, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association, said he believed Petro's estimate might be high, but he also expected an onslaught of applicants.
"This has been in the works for years," said Hohenwarter, whose organization has about 200,000 members in Ohio. "People have waited so long. There is some excitement about the opportunity."
Under the measure, which was signed into law by Republican Gov. Bob Taft earlier this year, Ohioans who pass a background check and complete gun-safety training would be able to buy a permit from a county sheriff to carry hidden guns.
The new law, however, forbids permit holders from carrying handguns in numerous places, including any government building. Private-property owners and businesses also can choose to ban or permit handguns.