State lawmakers are discussing a bill that would allow some gun owners to carry their firearms in family restaurants, bars and open air arenas, like Cleveland Browns Stadium.
Senate Bill 239, introduced by two Republican state senators, would also modify the concealed carry law to allow gun owners to travel in their vehicles with their firearms openly displayed.
The bill has fired up the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police, which said its membership is “irate and appalled” by changes it says will make police work even more life-threatening.
“I am kind appalled that they keep coming back and back to these issues that have already been heavily discussed,” said Mark Drum of the FOP. “It just comes down to the fact that these are absolutely huge safety issues for law enforcement everywhere.”
The bill was introduced by senators Tim Schaffer of Lancaster and Shannon Jones of Springboro. The bill had its first committee hearing on Wednesday.
The two senators said their bill is supported by the Buckeye Firearms Association and Ohioans for Concealed Carry.
Under Ohio’s concealed carry law, gun owners can travel in their vehicle with a loaded weapon as long as the firearm is holstered, or kept in a glove compartment, console or purse.
Schaffer said those rules can become cumbersome for a law-abiding gun owner who is stopped by police for speeding but has perhaps mistakenly stored the firearm in an area that is not allowed by law. He wants to eliminate all of the rules.
“This legislation merely removes the micromanaging provisions that say where a gun must be kept in a car,” he said, adding the rule change might most help people from out of state traveling through Ohio who are unaware of the state law.
Drum said that makes no sense to him.
“If you look at their current language and what they want to do, you can throw it up on your dashboard and drive down the highway,” Drum said. “That is not safe.”
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Article courtesy cleveland.com
