Ohio legislators and other public officials could carry concealed handguns inside the Statehouse and other government buildings under a bill in the Ohio House.
Lawmakers have expanded the list of legal concealed carry places several times in recent years, but the Statehouse has always been off-limits.
House Bill 310 would allow concealed carry in all state and local government buildings, including courthouses, city halls and village buildings, but only by elected officials.
Rep. Nino Vitale, the Urbana Republican sponsoring the bill, said lawmakers and other officials are threatened every day for doing their jobs, citing a June shooting at a congressional baseball team practice.
Vitale, a permit holder who also teaches concealed carry courses, said he has no problem with all license holders allowed to carry in government buildings. A new law that took effect in March permitted local governments to make that decision for their communities. But he said that approach might be too broad to pass.
Gun rights supporters argue the expansion shouldn’t be limited to politicians. Buckeye Firearms Association President Jim Irvine said the bill further divides opinion about who is OK to carry a gun and who isn’t.
“If it’s OK for a legislator to carry a gun, why is it not OK for his aide, who is the first person you see when you walk into an office, to defend herself?” Irvine said.
Irvine said concealed handgun permit holders, who pass a background check before becoming licensed, are vetted more than most people walking through the Statehouse’s doors. Additionally, he said, license holders commit crimes at a lower rate than the population as a whole.
But gun control supporters say there are plenty of examples where a license holder lost his or her temper or made a mistake and shot someone. Jennifer Thorne, executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said a background check and training don’t make someone immune from making poor decisions.
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