COLUMBUS, Ohio – A bill relaxing some weapons restrictions moved a step forward in the Statehouse while another, addressing everything from Ohio’s toxic algae problem to the future of land-line phone services, appears dead, and a third is on its way to the governor’s desk.
The Ohio Senate Tuesday passed changes to the state’s weapons laws that include relaxing some requirements for concealed carry permits and letting hunters use noise suppressors on their guns under certain conditions.
The hunting proposal, which passed the House earlier this year, would let licensed hunters use the noise suppressors while hunting certain birds and other wild game, including squirrels, rabbits and white-tailed deer. Supporters say the suppressors would help protect hunters’ hearing.
The Senate Civil Justice Committee amended the hunting bill to also reduce the training time to get a concealed weapons permit from a minimum of 12 hours to eight. Such training must include two hours devoted to range time and live-fire training.
The House must agree to the changes before the governor could sign the bill.
Senate President Keith Faber (R-Celina) said Tuesday the measure was hanging on by “less than a thread,” and there was not enough time left in in the lame-duck session for Senate to take it up.
“Our colleagues in the House had the benefit of eight months to consider the bill between its introduction and passage; we’ve had it in the Senate for less than three weeks,” Faber said in a statement issued by his office Tuesday.
He told reporters the bill contained “too many complicated issues” that could not be resolved but no time-sensitive matters. Senators expect to adjourn Thursday.
The bill also faced an earlier veto threat from Gov. John Kasich because of the telephone provisions.
Faber said in the statement he was committed renewing the debate when the new General Assembly begins in January.
Faber also says he doesn’t think a House-passed measure on pay raises for elected officials will get too far. He told reporters that Kasich hasindicated to him that he doesn’t see it becoming law.
The Senate has passed a separate plan to allow an independent commission to set pay levels.
State lawmakers, statewide officers and most county officials last received a cost-of-living adjustment in 2008. Judges haven’t seen a boost in at least six years. Kasich spokesman Rob Nichols says the governor doesn’t support an across-the-board pay raise for all elected officials but would back a pay increase for judges.
A sweeping overhaul of Ohio’s municipal tax system has cleared the General Assembly and is headed toward expected approval by the governor.
The Ohio House agreed Tuesday to Senate changes on the long-sought legislation. Approval follows years of heated debate between businesses faced with a patchwork of tax rules across hundreds of local jurisdictions, and cities that say certain changes in tax collections will mean huge revenue losses to their struggling communities.
Changes in the bill would take effect in January 2016.