I’ve been involved in politics/government for quite some time. I first ran for Cincinnati City Council back in 1979 when I was an independent candidate for that office (I lost.) After another unsuccessful campaign in 1983, this time as a Republican, I finally was elected to City Council in 1985. After serving five years on Council, then five years as a Hamilton County Commissioner, I’ve now served in the United States Congress for 26 of the last 28 years. And it wouldn’t be an overstatement to say that I’ve seen a lot.
But nothing compares to the last week. Three things happened which will have a significant impact on our country. Let’s discuss them in chronological order.
First, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down a New York law which made it nearly impossible for law-abiding citizens to carry a gun in public. That law had said that anyone who wanted to carry a gun outside their home had to show a “proper cause” to get a license to do so. A general desire for “self defense” wasn’t enough, because under New York law, the person had to prove some special need. New York authorities used this restrictive measure to deny the vast majority of people from carrying a gun.
Well, the Supreme Court of the United States said, nope, this is a violation of Second Amendment rights. They struck down the New York law and this will have a ripple effect in communities across the country who might similarly want to infringe upon the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
The second landmark event occurring last week came the following day, when the US Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade. This has been a passionate goal of the pro-life community since Roe was announced nearly a half-century ago on January 22, 1973 (which coincidentally was my 20th birthday, and also the day LBJ died.) The practical effect of this decision is that rather than nine unelected judges in robes deciding what the rules of the road on abortion should be in this country, the decision will be made by the 330 million-or-so American citizens through their elected representatives at the state level.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that I was the principal sponsor of arguably the most significant pro-life legislation ever to pass the United States Congress and subsequently be upheld by the United States Supreme Court previous to the decision Friday – the Ban on Partial-Birth Abortion. Dobbs versus Mississippi of course goes far beyond that legislation.
And finally, the third significant event which took place over the last week was passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (which I supported.) My reason for supporting it was that I believe it safeguarded Second Amendment rights, and at the same time provided significant resources towards keeping us all safer, particularly children in our schools.
Here’s what this legislation does. It’s principal focus is on school security, giving local schools and law-enforcement more resources to keep our children and our teachers safe. The bill also takes meaningful steps towards addressing the mental health crisis facing this nation, and identifying potential school shooters before they act.
Relative to so-called “red flag laws,” if states have them, they can apply for federal funding to help administer their program. If, like Ohio, they don’t have them, those states can apply for money for drug courts, mental health courts, and veteran courts.
As for background checks, those individuals between 18 and 21 who want to purchase a gun, will now have their juvenile records reviewed to see if they have committed crimes which ought to prevent them from acquiring a weapon.
And finally, the court prohibition for those guilty of domestic violence from getting a weapon, will be expanded to end the so-called “boyfriend exception.” In essence, if someone beats their girlfriend (or boyfriend for that matter) they ought not be permitted to escalate matters by putting a firearm into their hands. Seems like common sense to me.
If you would like to read further on this legislation, I would strongly suggest you read Kim Strassel’s column in the Wall Street Journal entitled “Democrats lose ‘gun control’“ (subscription required).
Like I said, it was a big week. A lot to absorb. Hope you and your family are doing well, and I’ll see you next week.
