Bloomberg Activists Behind Suit Over Concealed Carry in Lebanon Government Building

Three Lebanon, Ohio, residents have filed a civil lawsuit against the city and City Attorney Mark Yurick over a local March 2020 gun ordinance authorizing anyone with a valid concealed handgun license to carry a gun in the Lebanon City Building.

The residents are being represented by attorneys from Everytown for Gun Safety, an out-of-state gun control group funded by former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The suit claims that the city is violating state law by authorizing carry in a government building with a courthouse. However, in 2016, BFA worked to pass SB 199 that specifically allows cities to enact local ordinances to permit carry in government buildings. That law went into effect on March 21, 2017.

"The City of Lebanon is perfectly within their rights to permit carrying firearms in buildings under their jurisdiction," said Dean Rieck, Executive Director of Buckeye Firearms Association. "The law is clear on this matter."

Section 2923.126 (B)(7) of the Ohio Revised Code includes this language (italics added):

A valid license does not authorize the licensee to carry a concealed handgun into any of the following places:

...

(7) Any building that is a government facility of this state or a political subdivision of this state and that is not a building that is used primarily as a shelter, restroom, parking facility for motor vehicles, or rest facility and is not a courthouse or other building or structure in which a courtroom is located that is subject to division (B)(3) of this section, unless the governing body with authority over the building has enacted a statute, ordinance, or policy that permits a licensee to carry a concealed handgun into the building;

"This is yet another example of Bloomberg-funded attorneys coming to Ohio to interfere in local matters without any understanding of our laws," continued Rieck.

Everytown lawyers were also behind the failed legal defense of Columbus and Cincinnati when Buckeye Firearms Association sued them over local gun control laws. BFA won both cases, and Cincinnati was recently forced to pay our legal fees of more than $235,000.

"When will these carpetbagger lawyers and gun control groups from out of state learn? They've lost case after case, and we believe they will lose this case as well."

Dean Rieck is Executive Director of Buckeye Firearms Association, a former competitive shooter, NRA Patron Member, #1 NRA Recruiter for 2013, business owner and partner with Second Call Defense.