May
23
Wednesday
OFCC Sues City of Cleveland Heights, Ohio
The sign you see here is posted in Cleveland Heights Parks implying possession of a firearm is a crime.
On Friday August 12th, 2011 Ohioans For Concealed Carry Filed a lawsuit against the City the City of Cleveland Heights. The litigation comes after many attempts to resolve concerns over laws that Cleveland Heights not only allowed to remain on their books, but also posted signs at their parks that continue to imply it is illegal to be armed. The City of Cleveland Heights has chosen to ignore our attempts at civil discourse. When individuals have contacted them representing themselves as residents of the City of Cleveland Heights their concerns apparently fell on deaf ears. When representatives of the organization have formally contacted the city's legal representation they've been laughed at and hung up on by the Law Director. It is this arrogance and refusal to work with Ohioans For Concealed Carry that has forced us to seek a remedy through the courts.
Our press release follows. Read the Full Story
Our press release follows. Read the Full Story
Canton PD Event Leads to New OFCC Legislation
When officer Harless of the Canton, Ohio police department came upon a vehicle stopped in the roadway most of us were focused on getting restaurant carry legislation signed into law.
What took place that evening has become an international viral video, calls for the resignation of the City Council president, and criminal charges against a man who is clearly heard trying to state that he has a license.
Ohioans For Concealed Carry has not just raised thousands of dollars in a legal defense fund, but we've written legislation to resolve this matter that Representative Danny Bubp has stated he's going to introduce this fall
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Letter to the Editor: There are 2 sides in public-records debate
- Published on Wednesday, 30 November -0001 00:00
- Written by Jeff Garvas
It's not just Ohio gun owners who have concerns about the media's rampant abuse of open records, and shameless advocacy via biased reporting.
March 25, 2005
Columbus Dispatch
I salute The Dispatch for again raising debate on public records by focusing on the issue in the March 13 newspaper. Clearly, the editors support House Bill 9, sponsored by Rep. W. Scott Oelslager, R-Canton. One didnt have to wade too far into the six stories to know why the paper feels Ohio needs the legislation. It was evident by the biased reporting. Then the editorial "Focus on Sunshine Week" confirmed it. The Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics says to "seek truth and report it." The code also says to "distinguish between advocacy and news reporting. Analysis and commentary should be labeled and not misrepresent fact or context."
Only the editorial page was identified as commentary. The newspaper certainly misrepresented the fact and context of testimony of three school communicators in one news story. All three school representatives testified to the House of Representatives Civil and Commercial Law Committee that they were strong supporters of the publics right to know and supported several parts of House Bill 9, including the education portion. They said they take their role as keepers of the publics records seriously.
Leah Mercer told of a personal incident when she was beset by a parent and feared for her own safety. The parent could easily obtain her home address through a public records request. Jeff Kursman provided examples of excessive public-records requests that were made to harass the district. Karen Derby told of a request for copies of all emails that contained one particular word. She said the proposed fines and limited time window are an enticement to financially exploit taxpayer dollars for personal gain.
Those witnesses and Columbus Police Sgt. Laura Stratton talked about receiving voluminous requests, involving thousands of copies, that were not picked up nor paid for, which cost the taxpayers money that could have gone to instruction or public safety.
With the advent of technology, one can type a phone number into an Internet search engine and obtain a map to someones house. Do school, municipal, township and state employees give up all rights of privacy simply because they are on the public payroll?
Most government bodies and public schools provide public records in a timely, lawful fashion. Thousands of public records are being shared each business day.
Remember, there are two sides to this story and readers deserve both.
Fred Pausch
Director of legislative services
Ohio School Boards Association
Columbus
CLICK HERE TO ASK YOUR LEGISLATORS TO PROTECT LAW-ABIDING PEOPLE BY AMENDING HOUSE BILL 9 AND CLOSING THE MEDIA ACCESS LOOPHOLE.