(The Center Square) – If Democrats can advance gun legislation in the Ohio General Assembly, it will likely come next year.
With both the House and Senate closing in on an extended holiday break, Senate Democrats introduced four bills that deal with giving up individual gun rights, prohibiting people with domestic violence convictions from possessing a gun, and giving tax breaks to gun owners for safe storage practices.
“Gun violence is out of control across our state and country, with nearly 80% of all homicides and over half of suicides involving a gun,” said Sen. Hearcel Craig, D-Columbus. “These situations are preventable, but only if we have the courage to act. We believe we’re offering a balanced and thoughtful approach to a very serious problem. This package of legislation is intended to build bipartisan consensus around proposals that have been proven to reduce gun violence and deaths.”
Senate Bill 164 would give people the option to give up their right to buy or possess a gun temporarily if they think they might harm themselves.
Also, Senate Bill 187 would stop a person with a domestic violence conviction from possessing a game. Already illegal under federal law, Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio said gaps in state law allow for possession.
“In the United States, domestic abuse has a frequent and deadly correlation to gun violence,” Antonio said. “While we know guns do not cause domestic violence, an abuser with a gun is far more deadly than an unarmed one. This legislation will save the lives of women, children and law enforcement in our state. If we don’t introduce this kind of legislation now, we’ll never know that this time was the right time.”
Finally, Senate bills 188 and 189 would give gun owners an option to store guns with regulated gun dealers or shooting range owners and give a tax break to gun owners to show safe handling and storage practices.
