COLUMBUS, OH. — The Ohio chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, issued the following statements after lawmakers presented a slate of gun safety legislation to be introduced during the current legislative session. The bills have the goal of curbing Ohio’s high rate of gun deaths and protecting communities from senseless acts of gun violence.
“These are common-sense gun safety policies that would protect our families and communities from gun violence,” said Michelle Lee Heym, a volunteer with the Ohio chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We urge legislative leadership to give these bills a serious consideration at a time where our communities are paying the price of past inaction. It is time for our legislature to stop answering to the gun lobby, start answering to the people they serve and pass legislation that puts the safety of our families and communities first.”
“I’ve grown up watching Ohio lawmakers side with the gun lobby instead of protecting us,” said Gabi Iler, a volunteer with Students Demand Action in Ohio. “We’re the ones living with the fear and the lockdown drills—and we’re done waiting. These bills are a chance to finally do something about gun violence in our state. Lawmakers need to step up and pass them now. Our future depends on it.”
Here’s what to know about the new legislative measures:
- HB 45: Closes the Charleston loophole and institutes a 10 day waiting period for firearm transfers from a federally licensed firearm dealer. Co-sponsored by former Moms Demand Action volunteers: Rep. Karen Brownlee and Rep. Alison Russo.
- HB 46: Establishes an extreme risk protection order process for Ohio, which would allow family, household members and law enforcement to petition to temporarily restrict access to firearms from individuals who pose a risk to themselves or others. Co-sponsored by former Moms Demand Action volunteer Rep. Alison Russo.
- HB 120: Eliminates state sales taxes on safe firearm storage devices. Co-sponsored by former Moms Demand Action volunteers: Rep. Karen Brownlee and Rep. Alison Russo.
- HB 235: Provides tax credits to Ohioans who complete firearm safety training or purchase secure storage devices. Co-sponsored by former Moms Demand Action volunteers: Rep. Karen Bownlee, Rep. Crystal Lett, and Rep. Alison Russo.
All of these measures are co-sponsored by former Moms Demand Action volunteers who now serve in the Ohio State Legislature. Rep. Karen Bownlee, Rep. Crystal Lett, and Rep. Alison Russo are 3 of 138 volunteers-turned-elects currently serving in state legislatures across the country. When leaders like them bring their firsthand experience to public office, they don’t just continue advocating for gun safety—they help to write and pass laws that can make communities in Ohio and across the country safer.
In an average year, 1,770 people die by guns in Ohio. Despite the state’s gun homicide rate increasing over the past decade, higher than the nationwide increase, lawmakers have continued to weaken gun laws by passing a dangerous Shoot First law in 2021, encouraging violence and vigilantism in public—and eliminating the requirement that a person get a permit and safety training before carrying a concealed gun in public. More information about gun violence and gun laws in Ohio is available here.