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Sponsor Testimony for HB 508 |
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Written by Daniel White
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Tuesday, 21 February 2006 |
UPDATED: Thanks to a committee hearing 'regular' who has donated both his time and personal equipment, Ohioans For Concealed Carry is pleased to bring you audio from Tuesday's Criminal Justice Committee. Although HB347 was delayed, HB508 Sponsor Testimony by Rep. Ron Hood is now available. The audio quality is much better than last time since it was sourced off the microphones -- but the videos Rep. Hood played have a bit of an echo since they were ambient room noise. Play the MP3 Audio
Sponsor testimony was presented today to the Criminal Justice Committee by Rep. Ron Hood for HB 508. This is Hood's bill which would work to prevent firearms confiscations by any law enforcement body during times of emergency.
Need for this type of legislation became evident during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina when officials in New Orleans began seizing lawfully owned firearms from residents. Though the practice was quickly halted by legal injunction pursued by the NRA, for many families, the damage had already been done.
Ohioans For Concealed Carry fully supports this bill.
Click 'READ MORE' to view an overview of Hood's testimony.
The following talking points were presented to the criminal justice committee and were provided to OFCC by Rep. Hood's office and are printed here with permission.
Sponsor Testimony for HB 508
Criminal Justice Committee, February 21, 2006
1. Gun confiscation is not just something that has happened to foreign citizens on foreign shores. It has happened in our own country, as anti-gun politicians used the cloak of a horrible tragedy (Hurricane Katrina) to steal firearms from law-abiding citizens in New Orleans:
• ABC News video on September 8 showed National Guard troops going house-to-house, smashing through doors, searching for residents, and confiscating guns. Oklahoma National Guardsmen were even pictured handcuffing residents of an upscale home that was free and clear of any flood water and taking their guns as well.
• Similarly, a local California station (KTVU) aired video showing authorities tackling an elderly New Orleans woman, and confiscating her weapons. She was then forcibly evicted, despite the fact that flood waters had not come near her home.
• On September 9, The Washington Post reported that U.S. Marshals were involved in the gun confiscations in New Orleans. JoAnn Guidos is the owner of a local bar who was more than prepared to defend her establishment. Her beer was cold; her ice was staying frozen -- thanks to a generator that was keeping her refrigerated products ready for her customers, who were just beginning to return to the neighborhood. But once her guns were stolen by the Marshals, she was forced to leave.
• On the same day, The New York Times reported that police were confiscating firearms, “even those legally owned.” And the Associated Press quoted New Orleans Police Commissioner Edwin Compass as saying, “Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons.”
2. God forbid a natural disaster hit Ohio, or we ever experience rioting such as what Los Angeles saw in 1992. But if an emergency should happen, is that really the right time to take away the ability of the citizenry to defend themselves? Should we be disarming people when our towns have descended into a state of anarchy and a large portion of the police department has fled (such as what we saw in New Orleans)?
3. Under New Orleans-type circumstances, any sane person would understand that the police should have better things to do than confiscate guns from law-abiding Ohioans!
4. Even the judiciary has determined that confiscating people’s guns is illegal. On September 23, the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District in Louisiana issued a restraining order to stop authorities there from confiscating firearms.
5. Louisiana has already taken steps towards removing all supposed legal authority for committing this offense in the future. Legislators there were shocked when they saw the archived TV news footage of people being left defenseless in their homes (or evicted) where they were perfectly safe. New Hampshire is on board as well. Ohio should be in the forefront of this fight.
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