OH: CCW Reform on the Move in Ohio Senate

A year ago, the House of the 131st Ohio General Assembly voted to pass HB 48.  It passed the House 68 to 29. It has been languishing there ever since.  

House Bill 48 is the prominent gun law reform bill pending in Ohio.  It is a modest bill that makes only a few reforms.  It removes silly prohibitions on permit holders from carrying concealed guns in day care centers, in the unsecured areas of airports, and other "gun free zones".   It passed the House by over 2-1 (68-29) on 17 November,  and has 42 cosponsors in the house, including the Speaker.  Here is a summation of HB48(pdf):

To amend sections 311.42, 2923.12, 2923.122, and 2923.126 of the Revised Code to modify the prohibition against carrying a concealed handgun  onto institutions of higher education, day-care facilities, aircraft, certain government facilities, public areas of airport terminals and police stations, and school safety zones and to allow a sheriff to use concealed handgun  license fee revenue to purchase ammunition and firearms.

In the 2016 election, Republicans gained a seat in the Senate, going from 23 to 24, and Democrats lost a seat, droping from 10 to 9. In the House, the Republicans gained two seats, one of them a vacancy, going from 64-34 to 66-33 for the 132nd General Assembly that will be seated in 2017. The lame duck session is a good time to pass bills that may be considered controversial. Second Amendment supporters won big on election day. The State Senators of Ohio may be taking notice. An Ohio Senate committee will hear HB48 on Tuesday, 28 November. From wlwt.com:

A concealed-carry bill dormant since last year will be heard again Tuesday.

It would reduce penalties for certain concealed-carry violations and expand the list of premises where permit holders can carry their weapons to include day care centers and public areas of airports and police stations. It would also allow concealed guns within government buildings under specific circumstances.

From buckeyefirearms.org:

Chairman William Coley II has announced that the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee will be hearing proponent testimony on HB 48 (Eliminate many 'no-guns' victim zones) on Tuesday, November 29 at 8:30 a.m. in the North Hearing Room., and proponent/opponent/interested party testimony on Wednesday, November 30 at 8:45 a.m. in the Finance Hearing Room. The chairman has indicated that amendments may be offered at the Wednesday hearing.

As passed by the House, HB 48 seeks to restore Ohioans' right to carry in day-care facilities (unless they post "no-guns"), private airplanes, school safety zones, and in non-secure areas of police stations and airports.

The bill also contains "opt-in" language which would to allow authorities governing college campuses and certain government buildings the ability to allow concealed carry.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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