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Ohio law would allow guns at day care centers
By Marc Kovac
COLUMBUS
The Ohio House passed legislation that would allow permitted individuals to carry concealed firearms in airports and day care centers, among other locations.
HB 48 also would reduce charges for carrying concealed handguns on college campuses.
The legislation passed on vote of 68-29 Tuesday. It now heads to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.
Among other provisions, HB 48 would lift restrictions on carrying concealed weapons in day care centers or homes, on private aircrafts or in other government buildings. The list would include portions of airports terminals outside of screening checkpoints or restricted areas.
Private employers, colleges and universities and other locations could still ban concealed firearms from their premises, however.
The proposed law changes would reduce to a minor misdemeanor the unauthorized carrying of concealed handguns by permitted individuals on college campuses, as long as those charged can produce a valid concealed-carry license within 10 days of their arrest.
Rep. Ron Maag, R-Lebanon, the legislation’s primary sponsor, said the changes would ensure those legally carrying concealed firearms aren’t inadvertently breaking the law.
“Current law unnecessarily inhibits law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” he said.
State Rep. Janine Boyd, D-Cleveland Heights, said in a released statement, “The Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association are among the longer list of those that oppose HB 48. ... Even with limited information, there appears to be a relationship between high rates of gun deaths and high rates of gun ownership. So, HB 48 is the clearly a step in the wrong direction for our state, and it is the opposite of protecting life.”