Permitless concealed carry on the move in Ohio
Ohio lawmakers could vote next week to relax gun laws
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WXIX) – Ohio lawmakers could vote as soon as next week to relax current gun laws by waiving training and permit requirements to carry concealed guns.
If passed into law, House Bill 227 would make a concealed weapons permit optional, including the mandatory eight hours of training, and eliminate the current requirement that people promptly notify police officers they are carrying a concealed weapon.
The primary sponsor of the bill is Republican lawmaker, Rep. Tom Brinkman of Mt. Lookout.
The other sponsor is a Republican from Delaware County, Rep. Kris Jordan of Ostrander.
“It’s our Second Amendment rights. Government is too restrictive. People deserve their rights,” Brinkman tells FOX19 NOW.
“One just needs to look at the gun violence in the city of Cincinnati. The politicians run around in the city of Cincinnati and say ‘oh, violent crime is down,’ but it seems there is a shooting every other night,” said Brinkman, who failed to win a seat on Cincinnati City Council during last week’s election.
“Law-abiding citizens need to be able to defend themselves. This levels that playing field. It’s not the guns that are the problem. It’s the bad people are using them with abandon.”
Brinkman said the bill could be introduced to the House floor for a vote as soon as next week.
If that happens, he confidently predicts it will pass.
“It’s a popular issue,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of folks who know that If we need to get it passed, we need to get it to the governor’s desk before the primary.”
House Speaker Bob Cupp, through a spokesman, tells FOX19 NOW “The timing of any floor vote on the bill has not been determined yet.”
The other chamber of the Ohio General Assembly is considering a similar measure, Senate Bill 215.
The Buckeye Firearms Association backs the effort and points out that 21 other states allow people to carry a concealed weapon without a license.
Gun control groups, however, such as Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America oppose it, along with law enforcement groups.