A bill is winding its way through the Ohio House of Representatives that would eliminate the need to get a permit before carrying a concealed firearm.
So far, 27 of 61 House Republicans support the bill, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has said he is reviewing the legislation. But law enforcement groups and gun control advocates are waving red flags about the proposal.
Currently, Ohioans must pay $67 for a license from their county sheriff’s office and complete eight hours of gun safety training. The proposed law would allow anyone over the age of 21 to carry a concealed handguns and long guns without a permit so long as they don’t have felonies or other offenses that prevent them from legally obtaining a firearm. Someone exercising concealed carry under the proposed law also wouldn’t have to alert law enforcement to that fact during traffic stops.
The legislation, called HB 178, is co-sponsored by suburban Cincinnati State Rep. Tom Brinkman and State Rep. Ron Hood, both Republicans. They say the so-called “constitutional carry” legislation will guarantee Ohioans’ Second Amendment rights.
“Gun owners are law-abiding citizens who follow the rules, and we need to let them be able to protect themselves,” Brinkman said in a video released in late March by activist group Ohio Gun Owners. “That’s what this is all about.”
Hood, on his eighth non-consecutive term as a state house representative, first introduced a bill striking down requirements for concealed carry permits almost 25 years ago.
This session, he says, he’s sure he’ll get his wish.
“It’s just a matter of time, where we will have this law,” Hood told media after a hearing in the House’s Federalism Committee May 30.
Opponents of the bill also showed up to that hearing — the fifth on the legislation in the committee. They say the proposal could be dangerous.
Among critics of HB178 are law enforcement groups like the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, which says it could hamper investigations and make it harder to stop certain violent crimes.
Some police groups also oppose the law.
“An untrained person, even with the minimum training currently required for CCW holders, really has no idea what they have truly just embarked into,” Toledo Police officer and Toledo Police Patrolman’s Association representative Michael Haynes told the House committee earlier this month. “We don’t let our 16-year-old children behind a wheel without a minimum of training involved, so why would we allow someone to carry a gun without the same due diligence?”
Democratic state lawmakers have signaled their own opposition to the law. Earlier this month they introduced their own gun safety legislation creating new “red flag” and background check laws and proposals designed to encourage safe storage of weapons.
“The answer to gun violence is not simply more guns,” State Rep. Adam Miller of Columbus, who heads the committee considering HB178, said in a statement. “The answer is responsible gun ownership with laws that protect the gun owner and non-gun owner alike. If HB 178 passes it will be easier to own a concealed weapon than it is to register to vote. Our children and our law enforcement community deserve better.”
Ohio isn’t alone in weighing the move eliminating permit requirements for concealed carry. In March, Kentucky became the 16th state to strike down permit requirements. Michigan is considering a similar law.
Republican lawmakers believe DeWine would sign the bill into law, though he has proposed some gun regulations in the past. DeWine’s office says he is mulling the legislation.
”Gov. DeWine supports protecting Ohioans’ Second Amendment rights,” the governor’s office said in a March statement. “We are reviewing the recently introduced proposal, and look forward to following its movement through the legislative process.”
This article appears in May 29 – Jun 5, 2019.
