Bipartisan restoration of rights legislation (re)introduced in Senate

Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA) has announced that a bill to restore gun ownership rights has been introduced in the Ohio Senate.

Senator Jason Wilson (D) introduced SB61, which contains language from SB247 in the 128th General Assembly. The bill will align Ohio law with federal statutes regarding the restoration of rights to Ohio firearms purchasers.

Due to a U.S. Supreme Court decision, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) has stopped accepting Ohio's court orders restoring a citizen's right to own firearms. This legislation will update Ohio's statutes to address this issue and protect Ohio citizens' legal rights under the law.

"The purpose of this Bill is to protect the rights of gun owners throughout Ohio. This bill is not a Democrat or a Republican bill but a bill that is best for all Ohioans," Wilson said. "I was successful is getting the bill passed out of the Senate last year and anticipate I will be successful in getting it passed again."

The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Beagle, Brown, Cafaro, Daniels, Grendell, Jones, Jordan, Manning, Seitz and Wagoner.

Ken Hanson, Legislative Chair of Buckeye Firearms Association, said, "Someone who has been legally buying firearms, in some cases for many years after they received a legal Ohio restoration, may suddenly discover that he or she is back under a firearm disability because Ohio's restoration of their firearm rights was not deemed complete by Federal authorities. The proposed bill realigns Ohio's law with new Federal enforcement rules to effectively get the same result that has been working in Ohio for years."

Buckeye Firearms Association Chairman Jim Irvine stated, "We are pleased to see renewed efforts to refine and improve Ohio's current firearm laws. The Senate has two bills that address the most pressing issues facing those who legally own guns in Ohio. SB17 would allow licensed citizens to carry concealed firearms in restaurants and fix burdensome car carry rules. SB61 would align Ohio law with federal statutes and protect citizen rights. We hope the legislature moves quickly to pass both, and are encouraged by legislators' assurances that Governor Kasich will sign the bills."

An identical bill was introduced last week in the Ohio House by Representatives Ron Maag (R-Lebanon) and Jarrod Martin (R-Beavercreek) as HB54. That bill was recently assigned to the House committee on Criminal Justice, which is chaired by BFA "B*" -rated freshmen Rep. Lynn Slaby.

Click here to read the bill in its entirety.