COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohioans would no longer need a permit to carry concealed firearms under a bill introduced yesterday by a Pickaway County representative.
READ MORE: In the Columbus Dispatch
Gun rights advocates immediately cheered the measure as an affirmation of Second Amendment rights, while critics, including law enforcement, expressed opposition because current training requirements and background checks would be wiped out.
The measure from Republican Ron Hood of Ashville has 20 cosponsors, including the No. 2 leader of the House, Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster). It would allow those 21 and older, not otherwise legally banned from having a weapon, to carry any firearm not specifically restricted by law.
While similar measures have gotten nowhere in past legislative sessions, momentum for such a change may be building across the country. Five states now allow concealed-carry without a permit — the most recent signed into law Friday in Kansas — and at least 10 other states are considering legislation.
“This is a concept that is getting interest on a national basis,” said Jim Irvine, chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association. “It’s kind of like concealed-carry was 25 years ago.”
Bill supporters say Ohio’s current setup — in which a concealed-carry applicant must undergo a state and federal background check, obtain at least eight hours of training (it was 12 until a relaxation of the law took effect last month), submit fingerprints, and pay a fee to get a permit with their picture from a county sheriff — amounts to an unconstitutional restriction of a constitutional right.
“Any law-abiding citizen should be able to carry a gun, concealed or not,” said one of the co-sponsors, Rep. Andrew Brenner (R-Powell) who noted that he hopes new gun users would get training even if it’s not required. “Whether they’re carrying it underneath a jacket or openly displaying a sidearm should make no difference.”
Jay McDonald, president of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, said, “We are in favor of concealed-carry but we are not in favor of eliminating the licensing procedure. There are a lot of good things that come with the licensing, and one of those is training.”