This week, lawmakers on Ohio’s House Federalism Committee will gather in Columbus to hear dangerous and extreme amendments to HB 248 that would allow more guns into the most sensitive places, including K-12 schools, college campuses, and courthouses. The amendments would also expand Ohio’s dangerous punitive preemption law and create civil liability for private property owners who prohibit guns.
Despite continued gun violence across the state, and increased gun violence in cities like Akron and Cincinnati, lawmakers are taking steps to roll back gun laws, not strengthen them. Moms Demand Action volunteers will testify against this legislation and call on Gov. Dewine and Ohio Senators to stop these dangerous amendments from becoming law.
In addition to amendments allowing guns where they do not belong, lawmakers will also discuss the following:
- Allowing people to carry firearms in bars while they are drinking alcohol. Current law allows people to carry firearms in bars, but not while they are drinking. Read more about guns in bars here.
- Allowing people as young as 18-years-old to buy handguns from unlicensed sellers.
- Creating Stand Your Ground for businesses, which would upend traditional self-defense law and allow people to shoot to kill on business premises, even when there is a clear and safe alternative.
- Extending civil immunity to people who carry guns in a school safety zone and cause injuries or deaths as a result.
- Making it more difficult for prosecutors to convict people who illegally transfer firearms to convicted felons, domestic abusers, and others prohibited from possessing firearms.
- A potentially unconstitutional provision making a private property owner who posts signage prohibiting firearms on their property civilly liable for any injury or death that occurs as the result of the prohibition.
In August, more than 200 volunteers with Ohio Moms Demand Action testified against SB317, a bill to dramatically reduce training requirements for teachers who carry firearms in schools. If you would like to speak with a volunteer or policy expert on the amendments Ohio lawmakers will discuss this week, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
