Ohio AG doesn't certify gun initiative; group vows to continue effort

COLUMBUS — The Ohio attorney general didn’t certify the language on a petition from Ohioans for Gun Safety, which wants to put an issue on the ballot next year to close loopholes in the state’s gun-purchase background checks.

“This is not uncommon for the Ohio Attorney General to find minor fault with petition language, and we are going to make the appropriate changes and then hit the streets to collect another 1,000 valid signatures,” said Dennis Willard, the group’s spokesman.

“Ohioans want to close the loopholes in existing law so that when someone buys a gun at a gun show or privately, they go through a background check. It’s a simple, straight-forward, common sense plan to reduce gun violence and save lives.”