Handgun process may start on time

March 06, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

Handgun owners may be able to apply for permits to carry concealed weapons on April 8, the day the new law takes effect, because the state has been moving faster than expected to put the mechanics in place.

"I think we will be up and running by the effective date," Robert A. Cornwell, executive director of the Buckeye State Sheriffs’ Association, said yesterday. Kim Norris, spokeswoman for Attorney General Jim Petro, agreed.

Cornwell and others had predicted possible delays in implementing the law, enacted Jan. 8, because government agencies must refine the application process and write rules.

Training requirements must be completed, the application and permit must be designed, and a brochure on the gun law and the safe handling of a weapon must be prepared for each permit applicant.

Once the mechanics are in place, the sheriff of each county will begin accepting applications.

Jim Irvine of Ohioans for Concealed Carry in suburban Cleveland said the process has been smoother here than in some states.

"I’m pleasantly surprised that no big obstacles have come up," he said. "Everybody from the attorney general’s office on down has been very professional in getting this program working for the citizens of Ohio."

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Cornwell said the Peace Officer Training Commission is scheduled to set the fee for permit applicants Thursday. It is expected to be $45, of which the sheriffs would receive $25, the commission $5 and the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation $15 for the cost of criminal background checks.

Thursday also is the day the attorney general’s office is expected to finish the application form. Norris said it has been discussed with sheriffs, who also get to review a model of the permit they are to issue, with options on some features.

Norris said the 25-page pamphlet on the gun law is nearing completion. It will include a copy of the picture of the sign that will be posted where handguns are off limits, such as schools, day-care centers, taverns and private property at the owner’s discretion.

A public hearing will be held soon on the issue of checking applicants for mental competency, Norris said. The attorney general’s office will then submit a rule for such background checks to the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review for approval. Rules will be given emergency status and shouldn’t hold up the permit-issuing process, Norris said.

Petro’s office yielded to the sheriffs in stipulating that applicants would be electronically fingerprinted using both index fingers and both thumbs. The attorney general earlier had indicated a 10-finger print might be required for the criminal-background check.

Sheriffs will be able to check the history of an applicant’s mental stability if a court had been involved in the applicant’s commitment to an institution. The attorney general’s upcoming rule will deal with those who have voluntarily submitted to treatment, which would not show up on legal documents.

The attorney general’s office will start regional training meetings with law enforcement officers on March 15, Norris said. She said several videoconference sessions already have been held.

She added that interested individuals can read the law and receive answers to common questions on the attorney general’s Web site: www.ag.state.oh.us/.