HB 152 (Constitutional Carry) scheduled for proponent testimony in House committee

Chairman Ron Maag has announced that the House State Government committee will be hearing proponent testimony on HB 152 (Constitutional Carry) next Wednesday, May 27 at 2:00 p.m. in Room 121.

Constitutional carry is an exciting possibility for gun owners in Ohio. It used to be said that it only worked in rural Vermont. Alaska is considered wilderness and didn't seem to matter either. Then, in 2010, Arizona passed a constitutional carry law. The success there has changed the thinking of many, and this once "radical" idea is becoming mainstream and is now working its way through many state legislatures. Five states now allow unlicensed concealed carry — the most recent was signed into law this year in Kansas — and nearly a dozen other states are considering legislation.

It took a few years after Florida passed a "shall issue" law for the idea to become popular across the country. Will the Buckeye State see a similar change from blue to green? (See graphic)

We don't need permission from the government to go to church or exercise our First Amendment right. Nor do we need a license to exercise our right for a speedy trial (Sixth Amendment.) It makes no sense that a person would need permission from the government to remain silent (Fifth Amendment) or be secure with our belongings that a Government can't just take or search at their whim (Fourth Amendment). The whole idea in the "Bill of Rights" is that they are, well, rights. They are rights of the people, and our Founding Fathers codified them because government tends to overstep its bounds.

If we have the "right" to "keep" (own) and bear (carry) arms, then why do we need permission?

The Second Amendment is the only right people have, that is commonly regulated to the point where they need a license (permission from the government) to exercise that right. This has lead many to the incorrect assumption that carrying a gun is a privilege, like driving, that can be highly regulated and exercised only by those with specific permission from the government.

While it seems like simple common sense to many gun owners, it isn't viewed that way by many in Columbus. Considering that that the Ohio legislature has not even been willing to make it easier for licensed persons to pick up children at school and store a firearm in their personal vehicle at work, or to allow victims of crime who defend themselves the same 'innocent until proven' guilty benefit we have everywhere else in the Ohio Revised Code - and considering that we had to move from four hours training to eight hours just to get our last bill through the Senate - it's safe to say that HB 152 faces an uphill battle in this legislative session.

Buckeye Firearms Association maintains a vigilant watch on gun legislation in Ohio. As legislation is introduced in the Ohio House or Senate, we will evaluate it and post information here.

Jim Irvine is the Buckeye Firearms Association President, BFA PAC Chairman and recipient of the NRA-ILA's 2011 "Jay M. Littlefield Volunteer of the Year Award" and the CCRKBA's 2012 "Gun Rights Defender of the Year Award."

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary, BFA PAC Vice Chairman, and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.