Ohio representative Ron Maag (R-Lebanon) has introduced legislation–House Bill 48–to do away with gun-free “victim zones” in churches and government buildings and on college campuses.
Maag believes the right to bear arms is over regulated and that the limitations put on it by gun-free ordinances simply create target-rich environments for criminals.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, HB 48 would also open “day care centers” to concealed carry, so that mothers with concealed carry permits can defend their children. He said his goal is to “facilitate responsible gun ownership and enable Ohioans to protect themselves.”
Representative Ron Hood (R-Ashville) has also introduced a pro-Second Amendment bill which would do away with the concealed carry permit requirement in Ohio.
Hood said: “If bearing arms is a right, it is not the job of government to require law-abiding citizens to jump through one of the most-burdensome processes in the country to exercise [it].”
Democrat representative Mike Curtin (Marble Cliff) opposed Hood’s pro-Second Amendment push by going to extremes and asking about scenarios that may not be relevant. For example, Curtin asked: “Where do you draw the line between who can carry and who cannot? From cap guns to ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles), we have a broad range of firepower available.”
The Ohio GOP has spent the last few years “steadily” relaxing gun laws in the state, especially as those laws regard concealed carry.
by Awr Hawkins
