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Bill would allow concealed guns in cars
Proposal would also nullify Cincinnati assault-weapon ban
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBUS - Motorists would not have to keep registered guns in plain view and local weapons laws would be invalidated under changes to the state law that allows Ohioans to carry hidden guns.
The bill is to be introduced today and then voted on by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, the Columbus Dispatch reported Tuesday.
"I think we have a bill that the Second Amendment people support and that law enforcement is OK with," said committee Chairman Jim Jordan, an Urbana Republican.
A version of the bill, passed by the House in March, removes the requirement that gun-carrying motorists have their weapons holstered in plain sight or locked in a glove box. Rep. James Aslanides, a Coshocton Republican who sponsored the bill, said it created unnecessary safety risks to move a gun from a holster to a glove box.
Gov. Bob Taft had threatened a veto because of opposition from the State Highway Patrol, which had concerns about officers approaching cars with hidden weapons inside.
Under the new proposal, the patrol would back away from its plain-sight requirement in exchange for an increased criminal penalty for a motorist who fails to inform a police officer that a gun is inside the vehicle.
The penalty would increase from a fourth- to a first-degree misdemeanor, with a two-year gun permit suspension.
The patrol will take a neutral stance on the bill, Lt. Shawn Davis said.
"Our main concern was that if they do away with the plain-sight that we, as law enforcement, wanted to ensure our officers' safety the best that we could," he said.
Taft spokesman Mark Rickel wouldn't say whether the governor, who leaves office Jan. 7, would support the changes.
"It has not been a priority for the governor at this point," Rickel said.
The bill also would prohibit local governments from passing weapons bans that are more strict than the state law. That would nullify municipal bans on assault weapons such as those adopted by Cincinnati and Columbus.
Cities have opposed having their gun laws pre-empted by the bill, but Aslanides said a permit holder can't be expected to know the gun laws of multiple communities.
Proposal would also nullify Cincinnati assault-weapon ban
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBUS - Motorists would not have to keep registered guns in plain view and local weapons laws would be invalidated under changes to the state law that allows Ohioans to carry hidden guns.
The bill is to be introduced today and then voted on by the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, the Columbus Dispatch reported Tuesday.
"I think we have a bill that the Second Amendment people support and that law enforcement is OK with," said committee Chairman Jim Jordan, an Urbana Republican.
A version of the bill, passed by the House in March, removes the requirement that gun-carrying motorists have their weapons holstered in plain sight or locked in a glove box. Rep. James Aslanides, a Coshocton Republican who sponsored the bill, said it created unnecessary safety risks to move a gun from a holster to a glove box.
Gov. Bob Taft had threatened a veto because of opposition from the State Highway Patrol, which had concerns about officers approaching cars with hidden weapons inside.
Under the new proposal, the patrol would back away from its plain-sight requirement in exchange for an increased criminal penalty for a motorist who fails to inform a police officer that a gun is inside the vehicle.
The penalty would increase from a fourth- to a first-degree misdemeanor, with a two-year gun permit suspension.
The patrol will take a neutral stance on the bill, Lt. Shawn Davis said.
"Our main concern was that if they do away with the plain-sight that we, as law enforcement, wanted to ensure our officers' safety the best that we could," he said.
Taft spokesman Mark Rickel wouldn't say whether the governor, who leaves office Jan. 7, would support the changes.
"It has not been a priority for the governor at this point," Rickel said.
The bill also would prohibit local governments from passing weapons bans that are more strict than the state law. That would nullify municipal bans on assault weapons such as those adopted by Cincinnati and Columbus.
Cities have opposed having their gun laws pre-empted by the bill, but Aslanides said a permit holder can't be expected to know the gun laws of multiple communities.