OHIO House Bill 203 Status Unclear

So, here I was assuming that since we have a GOP house, a GOP Senate and a GOP Governor that HB203 and its needed CCW reforms would roll right on through to Ohio Law. However, it passed the House with flying colors back in November of 2013 and is now sitting unassigned to a committee in the Senate. In other words, its been pigeon holed. Some newspapers in Cleveland wrote op-eds claiming its a "stand your ground, kill the little kids law" (which isn't true) and now it looks like the Senate is going to stay away from it to avoid trouble in an election year that would see 1/3 of the Senate members up for re-election.
Great.

This law was supposed to:
1. Have all county sheriffs use the same application form
2. Make it easier for the Attorney General of Ohio to determine whether another state had reciprocity with Ohio's CCW laws.
3. Makes it simpler to prosecute anyone who lies on a CCW application.
4. Changes the training hours from 12 to 4. This is good since the 12 hour class I took was only 4 hours of information anyway. Making people sleepy doesn't abet learning.
5. Clearly states a number of things that CCW permit holders cannot do (citizens arrests, etc). The gun can only be used in lawful defense during legal activities. If you're a criminal breaking the law, you cant use self-defense as a defense in court for shooting someone whilst breaking the law.
6. Defines imminent danger.
##### THIS IS THE ONE THEY DONT LIKE #####
#7. You do not have a duty to retreat if you are anyplace you are legally allowed to be. Previously you had a duty to retreat if you werent in your home or car. Now the law corrects that problem, allowing you to defend yourself wherever you may be with your CCW, as long as you are legally allowed to be there.
This is not the same as the stand your ground law in Florida and certainly does not provide the legal defense shenanigans that the Florida law provides for. You can't chase someone down, you cant instigate the encounter, you cant insult, shout or be belligerent and THEN pull out your CCW.

This is a common sense piece of legislation and I hope the Senate takes it up soon.

http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=130_HB_203

My home town finally catches up, We are winning.

In 2006 the State of Ohio passed a law providing that no municipality in Ohio could make gun laws that were more restrictive than the State of Ohio Revised Code. Well, it took 5 years but Columbus finally voted last night to remove its draconian gun laws from the books to avoid being sued. No more limits on magazine size, owners of concealed carry permits can now carry legally in city parks, no obtuse restrictions on ammo and make and model of firearm and no more worries about Columbus re-instituting its Columbus Gun License that you formerly had to apply for and purchase before purchasing a gun (that was removed about 5 years ago).

I'm not saying they were happy to do it, but they finally did (only after the Ohio Supreme Court upheld the state law though).

OK, so now they are taking over 100 miles from any border

let me measure the distance from my house to central Lake Erie and make sure I'm still under State authority....
Why does no one else not worry when our Dept of Homeland Security is making work for itself?

Courtesy of wirecutter.

Florida, They know how to handle things....

Reporter asks Sheriff why his deputies fired 68 rounds at a man who was suspected of having killed an officer during a traffic stop and fled from other officers in a police cruiser;
Sheriff replies "Because that's all the ammo they had..."

From wirecutter:

They only had 68 rounds? That's budget cuts for you...

I need to move back to the South,
in Ohio they would have a recall election for the Sheriff for his comments and the family of the deceased would have sued for a civil rights violation since he wasn't given a fair trial.

Really Ohio Legislature? Really?

You got a Republican super-majority elected in both houses and the Governors mansion* (and the state Supreme Court while were at it) on a platform of jobs and the economy and you're squabbling about which flavor of anti-abortion bill to pass?
Really? I don't remember you having fixed Ohio's economy yet, so I have the feeling you have other things to do with your time right now. Get off your asses, cut spending, lower taxes, raise taxes, invent new grants for business, argue about ways to fill Ohio's budget gap, declare tomorrow "spend some money in Ohio day", something, anything, but focus on JOBS AND THE ECONOMY!


*per se, the Governor actually already lived in the capitol city of Columbus and chose to remain at his family home for his term, forgoing the actual mansion. Hopefully that will save the state a few bucks.