Pro-gun rights legislation advances in Ohio General Assembly; More action needed today [UPDATE: VOTE TALLIES]

Buckeye Firearms Association is please to announce passage of important pro-gun rights legislation on Wednesday, December 7.

The Ohio Senate amended and passed Substitute House Bill 48 by a 23-9 vote. HB 48 allows for concealed carry in places it is already legal to open carry guns. It removes many "victim zones" which are places that are easy for bad people to kill many innocents, such as day-care facilities, aircraft, certain government facilities, and public areas of airport terminals, and it makes improvements to school safety zones. The bill also also grants colleges and universities the authority, if they choose, to allow people to legally possess firearms. Last year, HB 48 was passed in the House by a 68-29 vote. The substitute bill must now return to the Ohio House for a concurrence vote, presumably later today, before being sent to Governor John Kasich's desk for consideration.

On Tuesday, December 6, the Ohio House State Government Committee passed Substitute Senate Bill 199 (Active Duty Armed Forces Concealed Carry/ Handgun Transfer) after amending it to allow employees to store a gun in their vehicle while in the parking lot at work without threat of losing their job. The Speaker of the House had scheduled a vote on this important legislation for Wednesday, but lengthy delays resulted in the House "informally passing", or rescheduling, the vote. After the bill is taken up again today in the House, it must then be sent to the Ohio Senate for a concurrence vote, all before being sent to Governor John Kasich's desk for consideration.

Gun owners, concealed handgun licensees and self-defense advocates are encouraged to continue to call and write their State Senators and Representatives, as the time left for concurrence votes is nearly gone.

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce (click to email!) is strongly opposing SB 199. And in addition to emails from every gun owner, we need business owners and leaders to call to explain why it is vital to allow gun owners to store firearms in their personal vehicles at work.

Gun Owners:
Click here to send an email.

Business Owners and Leaders:
Click here to make a phone call.

This is how we make a difference. This is how we WIN!

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.

SENATE VOTE TALLIES

Please call your Senator and thank them for their vote in support of H.B. 48 this week.

House Bill 48

The question recurred, "Shall the bill, Sub. H. B. No. 48, pass?"

The yeas and nays were taken and resulted – yeas 23, nays 9, as follows:

Those who voted in the affirmative were: Senators

Bacon
Balderson
Beagle
Burke
Coley
Eklund
Gardner
Gentile
Hackett
Hite
Hottinger
Hughes
Jones
Jordan
LaRose
Manning
Obhof
Oelslager
Patton
Peterson
Seitz
Uecker
Faber-23

Those who voted in the negative were: Senators
Brown
Lehner
Sawyer
Schiavoni
Skindell
Tavares
Thomas
Williams
Yuko-9