By Gerard Valentino

Ohio’s Senate has recessed for the summer without moving on HB347 which would fix many of the poison pills in Ohio’s current concealed carry law and create statewide preemption for gun laws, which greatly affects the hunting and sport shooting community. Their decision to do so was a slap in the face to over 70,000 concealed license holders and up to 500,000 hunters and sporting shooters.

So far, the path of HB347 has shown an eerie resemblance to Ohio’s original concealed carry law which also overwhelming passed the Ohio House only to be hung up and then ruined by the Republican leadership in the Senate, who are responsible for the absurd car carry plain sight carry provision.

Once again it’s the Ohio Senate Republican leadership, led by Senate President Bill Harris, who is responsible for failing to act on a pro-gun bill. Their decision has alienated up to 500,000 predominately Republican voters.

Now, after being sold out once again by the Ohio GOP, one has to wonder how many have given up on voting Republican under some misguided belief that it is helping gun-rights in Ohio. Instead, many are, for the first time, looking at the Ohio Democratic leadership led by two statewide pro-gun candidates, Ted Strickland and Marc Dann, who are running for the governorship and Attorney General respectively.

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