CONCEALED CARRY Report: Gun lobby more vocal
A newspaper said that concealed-carry advocates outspent and out-lobbied foes.
DAYTON (AP) -- Gun lobbyists have outspent gun-control advocates in Ohio 32-to-1 since 1995, the year supporters began pushing a bill to allow Ohioans to carry concealed weapons, the Dayton Daily News reported Saturday.
They also sent 11 times as many letters, faxes and e-mails to Gov. Bob Taft and called his office three times as much as opponents of the bill. They packed hearing rooms, marched in demonstrations and signed petitions.
"The volume was very intense. And that is on both sides. I'd say the proponents outweighed the opponents about 2-to-1," said state Rep. Jim Aslanides, a Coshocton Republican who sponsored the bill allowing concealed carry. The law goes into effect April 8.
The NRA, Ohio Gun PAC, Gun Owners of America and other pro-gun rights groups gave legislative and other state candidates $208,228 since 1995, according to data from Ohio Citizen Action and the Ohio secretary of state's office.
Handgun Control Inc.'s political committee gave $6,524 in 1998 and nothing in the other years, according to secretary of state records.
Taft's office reported receiving 41,938 faxes, letters and e-mails from supporters of carrying concealed weapons since the Republican became governor in 1999, and 3,732 from opponents. Phone calls in favor of the legislation between 2001 and last week totaled 5,910 to 1,664 against.
Powerful influence
State Rep. Ed Jerse, a Euclid Democrat and an opponent of the law, said politicians are scared by the gun-rights grass-roots movement because advocates can unleash a torrent of opposition in an election.
"People are more influenced by the grass-roots mobilization -- the fear that the group is going to target them in a race. It's very much a wedge issue, it's a swing issue, it's an issue that can influence the swing voters," Jerse said.
State Sen. Eric Fingerhut, a Shaker Heights Democrat also against concealed carry, said most Ohioans quietly opposed the measure, but the gun lobby mobilized a loud minority.
"It's like comparing the Army's 5th Division to, like, the Boy Scouts. They aren't even playing the same game," said Fingerhut, running for the U.S. Senate this year.
Gun advocate's view
Chad Baus, spokesman for Ohioans for Concealed Carry, said the strong campaign reflects the view that most Ohioans want the right to carry concealed weapons.
"There is not a huge anti-gun movement in America. It's just not there," Baus said.
Rather, it was the anti-gun minority that held up the legislation, in part, by predicting doom and gloom scenarios, he said. Media sympathetic to gun control gives these groups better coverage, which influences politicians, he said.
Former Gov. George Voinovich threatened to veto earlier versions of the bill and former House Speaker JoAnn Davidson killed a House attempt.
Taft had threatened to veto any bill that lacked the support of major law enforcement groups. Later, he said he would sign a bill that police did not oppose.