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OFCC issues public records request to State Highway Patrol PDF Print E-mail
Written by Jeff Garvas   
Thursday, 14 April 2005

In light of the recent leak of OPIO State of Ohio News Media Credential Card application materials, and the denial of an application by OFCC's News Manager, OFCC has submitted the following public records request to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

    To: Jeff Maute
    Central Records
    Ohio State Highway Patrol
    FAX: (614) 752-8410

    CC: Michele LC. DeGraffinreed
    Administrative Assistant II
    Ohio Dept. of Public Safety
    1970 West Board Street
    Columbus, Ohio 43223

    Mr. Maute:

    I am writing to request copies of every OPIO State of Ohio News Media Credential Card application that has been received by the Ohio State Highway Patrol/ Ohio Department of Public Safety/ Ohio Emergency Management Agency office, as well as any documents pertaining to issuance, denial, revocations of these cards.

    I would also like to receive copies of any correspondence documenting a request from the Cleveland Plain Dealer or any employee of that newspaper for information pertaining to communications regarding my personal application, or anyone from the Ohio State Highway Patrol/ Ohio Department of Public Safety/ Ohio Emergency Management Agency sending them information, including emails, phone messages, voice messages, phone logs or any other communications which are required to be maintained under the Ohio Public Records law.

    I am willing to pay the copying charge prescribed by law.

    Pursuant to applicable law, your prompt compliance with this request is appreciated.

    Please consider this communication as a public records request under the Freedom of Information Act and the Ohio Public Records law.

    Respectfully,

    Chad D. Baus
    Ohioans For Concealed Carry
In the battle over concealed carry reform, Ohio's media elite (they know who they are) have been all too willing to question whether or not you, the average Ohio citizen, can be trusted with a firearm.

They fought for the privilege to access concealed handgun license (CHL) records. They have violated the privacy of law-abiding citizens that apply for concealed handgun licenses. They behave as though law-abiding citizens deserve to be watched closely, as though they are convicted sex offenders.

When a disturbed person commits a crime with a gun (one that he was likely prohibited by law from even possessing, and carrying without a license in a place where guns are banned), the media elite is always anxious to use the incident to argue in favor of stealing rights away from you, the law-abiding citizen.

To use this same "logic", the following headlines raise the question everyone should be asking:

CAN WE TRUST REPORTERS WITH OUR PRIVATE INFORMATION?
  1. Ohio newspaper editor arrested, charged with kidnapping
  2. Well-known Cincinnati WCPO reporter arrested, charged with sexually molesting children
  3. ABC Toledo news anchor arrested for DUI
  4. WKBN Youngstown news anchor resigns over nude photos
  5. TV weatherman pleads guilty to vehicular assault in Cleveland
As one OFCC supporter remarked after reading these headlines, "never mind the gun, beware of the journalist!" Or as another remarked, "If a business does not want a journalist on their premises, can they post a photo of Dan Rather with a red circle and slash through it?"

Unlike what is required of the CHL-holders they often appear to detest, there is no state-mandated test, fingerprinting, background check or standardized and mandatory training requirement to become a journalist.

OFCC is interested in obtaining these OPIO State of Ohio News Media Credential Card applications to review whether the Ohio State Highway Patrol is doing its job to ensure that the "wrong" people aren’t getting these cards.

Related Story:
Op-Ed: If the media is watching Big Brother, who is watching them?