Anti-gun Ohio lawmakers keep trying with new (same old) bills

On Monday, June 16, we highlighted three new Ohio House bills that Buckeye Firearms Association could support, including two backed by legislators not typically known for their pro-firearms stance.

Today, we're detailing nine new House bills and one new Senate bill that BFA opposes — though "new" is a stretch. These are largely the same ineffective measures rebranded with fresh bill numbers.

Here are the new bills we oppose:

House Bill 45 — Impose 10-day waiting periods. Sponsored by reliably anti-gun Rep. Cecil Thomas and Rep. Rachel Baker (both D-Cincinnati), this bill would prohibit a firearms dealer from transferring a firearm until at least 10 days have elapsed since contacting the national instant criminal background check system. The bill was referred to the House Public Safety Committee on Feb. 5.

House Bill 46 — Enact extreme risk protection order. Sponsored by Thomas and Rep. Michele Grim (D-Toledo), this bill seeks to allow family members, household members, and law enforcement officers to obtain a court order that seizes a person's firearms based on an accusation of that person posing a danger to themselves or others. This bill also was referred to the House Public Safety Committee on Feb. 5.

House Bill 337 — Require gun trigger locks. Sponsored by Thomas and Rep. Anita Somani (D-Dublin), this bill would require that gun trigger locks be attached and provided with firearms sales by federally licensed firearms dealers. The bill was referred to the House Public Safety Committee on June 11.

House Bill 348 — Repeal permitless carry. This bill, sponsored by Reps. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati) and Meredith Lawson-Rowe (D-Reynoldsburg), aims to repeal the changes made by SB 215, which makes concealed carry licensing optional and removes the duty to "promptly" inform a law enforcement officer when carrying a concealed handgun. SB 215 became effective in June 2022. Lawson-Rowe was a cosponsor on a bill we support and noted yesterday. HB 348 was introduced June 10 and has yet to be referred to committee as of June 16.

House Bill 350 — Ban bump stocks in Ohio. This bill, sponsored by Thomas and Grim, would ban the import, manufacture, sale, transfer, or possession of trigger cranks, bump-fire devices, and other items. HB 350 was introduced June 11 and has yet to be referred to committee as of June 16.

House Bill 351 — Establish the Ohio Task Force on Gun Violence. This bill would create a taskforce to recommend ways to deal with violent criminal behavior that dosn't involve actually enforcing the law and prosecuting criminals. HB 351 was sponsored by Rep. Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland), who also sponsored two bills BFA supports and noted yesterday. Its other sponsor is Rep. Karen Brownlee (D-Symmes Township). Introduced June 11, the bill was unassigned to a committee as of June 16.

House Bill 352 — Expand the offense of weapons under disability. Also sponsored by Brewer, this bill would expand the offense of domestic violence and the offense of weapons under disability. The bill was introduced June 11 and was unassigned as of June 16.

House Bill 354 — Prohibit firearms possession with a domestic violence conviction. Sponsored by Grim and Rep. Munira Abdullahi (D-Toledo), this bill would prohibit a person who has been convicted of first degree misdemeanor domestic violence from possessing a firearm or dangerous ordnance. Introduced June 11, the bill was unassigned as of June 16.

Senate Bill 75 — Increase penalty for not reporting a lost or stolen gun. Sponsored by Sens. Paula Hicks-Hudson (D-Toledo) and Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati), this bill would increase the penalty for failure to report a lost or stolen firearm. The bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 12.

Dean Rieck, BFA executive director, said it's always disappointing when lawmakers waste their efforts on attacking Ohioans' Second Amendment rights instead of advancing worthy legislation.

"Democrats are like Dr. Frankenstein," Rieck said. "They keep trying to resurrect the dead. We killed these bills in past legislative sessions. But here they are lumbering and groaning their way back to life. But we've seen this movie and we know how it ends.

"We'll fight these bills same as always and will continue protecting the rights of Ohio's 4 million gun owners."

To see where BFA stands on all current firearms-related legislation in the 136th Ohio General Assembly, visit our Legislation page.