COLUMBUS – A group trying to place an issue on the ballot that would strengthen Ohio gun laws has resubmitted petition signatures after it initial attempt was rejected by the attorney general.
Ohioans for Gun Safety filed an additional round of signatures with the office of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost asking to put a measure that would require background checks on virtually all guns sales in Ohio on the statewide ballot in 2020 or 2021, spokesperson Dennis Willard said.
“We believe this issue is very simple: if you buy a gun, get a background check. Studies have shown that background checks reduce gun violence and save lives, and that’s why the majority of Ohioans support them,” he said.
Yost rejected the summary language on the petition last month, saying the language inaccurately suggested the proposal would apply to all firearm sales and omitted certain exceptions.
Willard says the group revised the summary and submitted over 1,700 signatures.
Among other exceptions, the law does not apply to firearms given as a gift between family members, to and from a licensed gunsmith for repair or maintenance or sales and transfers of antique firearms.
Should the petition advance, it would first ask Ohio lawmakers to enact universal background checks. If lawmakers decline, the petition could be presented directly to voters.