COLUMBUS — Gov. Mike DeWine has signed into law a measure that will make a concealed weapons permit optional and eliminate the requirement that individuals “promptly” notify police officers that they are carrying a concealed weapon.
The measure was approved along partisan lines by Ohio’s GOP-controlled Legislature, and the Republican governor’s office on Monday announced that he had signed it and four other measures into law.
It’s one of several GOP-backed proposals in recent years seeking to expand gun rights in Ohio.
The Ohio Democratic Party criticized the governor’s action, saying the measure “will make all Ohioans less safe.”
“Removing these responsible and reasonable precautions compromises the safety and security of our communities and law enforcement…Republicans have made it crystal clear that they value the approval of the gun lobby more than the lives of Ohioans and the police officers who protect our communities every day,” Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) said.
Nearly 5,000 concealed-carry licenses were revoked or denied by sheriff’s offices across Ohio in 2021 because the permit holders or applicants violated state restrictions, including 420 licenses revoked for cause, such as a felony conviction or ruling of mental incompetence, Russo said, citing data supplied by the office of Attorney General David Yost.