COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — No gun legislation has been signed into law this year, but lawmakers at the statehouse are considering one: House Bill 51, or the “Second Amendment Preservation Act.“
The bill prohibits any state public officer from enforcing federal gun laws that conflict with the state’s laws and would fine any subdivision that employs an officer who knowingly enforces federal gun restrictions.
“Local law enforcement cannot be compelled to enforce gun rules from the federal government,” House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said.
But House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) called the proposal “dangerous legislation.”
“We’ve heard from nearly every law enforcement organization in the state that this makes our communities more dangerous, and it makes it more difficult to solve crimes, particularly gun crimes,” Russo said.
Stephens said the bill is important but has yet to win the approval of some Republican colleagues, who are concerned that the language of the bill complies with existing law. The House is taking some time to “continue those discussions,” he said.
“It’s a very important issue when it comes to the 10th Amendment and what can states enforce and what they are required to enforce,” Stephens said. “So, it’s a very big question that the bill is trying to answer or start a conversation on.”
Stephens said while he wants to wait a couple of weeks to hash out the details that concern people, he does expect to bring the bill to a floor vote next year. He said it is “very possible” that vote comes in January.
“There could be some tweaks to it from where it stands today,” Stephens said. “It’s a very lawyer-y type bill from the standpoint of how things are worded and what can be done in cooperation with the federal government.”
Russo said she thinks the bill being stalled is a good thing, and she suggested working on legislation she called “commonsense gun reform” — like creating universal background checks and red flag laws.
But Stephens said those proposals “just don’t have the support throughout the whole House.”
“The people don’t want the government in their business,” he said. “It’s pretty easy.”
Russo called universal background checks “more popular than apple pie” and said Republicans’ hesitancy to consider gun safety legislation points to how out of touch the majority party is.
“When you have a legislature, a supermajority Republican legislature, who says they absolutely will not take up the issue, when that large of the population, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, gun owners, non-gun owners, support this, it speaks to why gerrymandering is so damaging in the state,” she said.
But Stephens said he thinks handling gun and violent crimes comes down to something else: more funding for law enforcement to “keep repeat offenders off the streets.”
Lt. Gov. Jon Husted declined to comment on HB 151, saying he is not familiar with the bill’s details. But he reaffirmed his commitment to the right to bear arms.
“Communities are sometimes feeling unsafe. As we don’t protect our southern border, we have criminals and cartels coming into America, effecting the health and safety in our communities,” he said. “So, I think more and more people want to make sure their Second Amendment rights are protected.”
