Jonah Patel
The Ohio Senate was expected to vote on the Constitutional Carry bill, SB215, on Wednesday, following its passage of the House Oversight Committee on October 28, 2021. The bill, sponsored by Senator Terry Johnson, would remove the requirement for a permit or license to carry a concealed firearm and relieve gun carriers of their duty to notify law enforcement during traffic stops that they are armed. The bill has received mixed responses, with supporters citing Second Amendment rights and opponents expressing concerns about public safety and links to violent crime. If the bill passes in the Senate, it will go to Governor DeWine, whose position on the bill is unclear.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Bill Name | HB 227 |
| Bill Sponsor | Senator Terry Johnson |
| Bill Co-Sponsor | Senator Niraj Antani |
| Bill Status | Passed the House Oversight Committee on October 28, 2021 |
| Bill Vote | Passed the House, 60-32 |
| Bill Provisions | Optional concealed carry permits, optional eight-hour training, no duty to "promptly" notify police officers about carrying a firearm |
| Senate Vote Timing | Unclear, could be as early as Wednesday after the House vote |
| Senate Vote Outcome | Unclear, expected to pass |
| Next Steps | Reconciliation with similar Senate Bill 215, send to Governor Mike DeWine for approval or veto |
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What You'll Learn
- The Ohio Senate committee votes to scrap training and background checks for concealed carry permits
- The bill, if passed, will relieve people carrying weapons of their duty to notify police officers during a stop
- The bill will remove the ambiguity of current law by clarifying the notification requirements
- The bill will expand the stand your ground right to any place a person has a right to be
- The bill will make the eight hours of training optional
The Ohio Senate committee votes to scrap training and background checks for concealed carry permits
On December 15, 2021, an Ohio Senate committee voted to scrap training and background checks for concealed carry permits. The legislation, Senate Bill 215, sponsored by Senator Terry Johnson, relieves people carrying weapons of their current legal duty to "promptly" notify police officers during a stop that they are carrying a firearm. Instead, it would only require them to notify the officers if they are asked.
The bill passed the House Oversight Committee on October 28, 2021, and the House on November 17, 2021, by a vote of 60 to 32. It now moves to the Senate, where it has received two hearings before the Senate Veterans and Public Safety Committee. The Senate could have voted on the bill as early as Wednesday, December 15, but the timing of a vote was uncertain.
If the bill passes the Senate, it will then go to Governor Mike DeWine for veto or approval. Governor DeWine has been ambivalent on Second Amendment rights and has not committed to signing or vetoing the bill. However, in January 2021, he signed a bill into law eliminating an individual's duty to retreat before using force, expanding the "stand your ground" right.
The bill has been criticized by Democrats and anti-gun violence advocates, who cite public health data showing links between permitless carry laws and violent crime. Law enforcement officials have also raised concerns about officer safety, specifically regarding the removal of the duty to notify officers about a weapon in a vehicle. However, Republicans and gun advocates frame the debate around constitutional rights and emphasize that the legislation does not allow people currently prohibited from carrying a concealed weapon to do so. They argue that it merely removes a permitting process and puts citizens in control of their own safety.
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The bill, if passed, will relieve people carrying weapons of their duty to notify police officers during a stop
The Ohio Senate is set to vote on the Constitutional Carry bill, which, if passed, will relieve people carrying weapons of their duty to notify police officers during a stop. The bill, HB227, has already passed the House, with a vote of 60-32, and is now awaiting a vote in the Senate. The bill would remove the requirement for a permit to carry a concealed firearm in Ohio and would make the mandatory eight-hour training optional.
Currently, Ohio law requires individuals carrying a firearm to "promptly" notify police officers during a stop that they are armed. However, the Constitutional Carry bill would only require individuals to notify officers if they are asked. Proponents of the bill argue that it is a win for constitutional rights and that it allows law-abiding citizens to protect themselves. Senator Niraj Antani, a co-sponsor of the bill, stated that "people should get training, but it doesn't have to be required. The Constitution does not require training in order to have your constitutional rights."
On the other hand, opponents of the bill, including law enforcement officials, have raised concerns about the potential impact on officer safety. They argue that removing the duty to notify officers about a weapon in a vehicle poses a clear risk. Additionally, data from the National Bureau of Economic Research and the American Journal for Public Health suggest links between permitless carry laws and violent crime. Despite these concerns, the bill is expected to pass in the Senate, although the timing of the vote is uncertain.
If the Senate passes its version of the bill, both chambers will still need to agree on a final piece of legislation to send to Governor Mike DeWine for veto or approval. Governor DeWine has been ambivalent on Second Amendment rights and has not indicated whether he would veto or support the Constitutional Carry bill. The bill's passage would be a significant development in Ohio's gun laws and a victory for gun lobbyists and gun rights advocates.
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The bill will remove the ambiguity of current law by clarifying the notification requirements
In Ohio, the Constitutional Carry bill, HB227, has been moving forward since 2021. The bill would remove the ambiguity of the current law by clarifying the notification requirements. Under the existing law, there is a duty to "promptly" notify police officers during a stop that an individual is carrying a firearm. However, HB227 proposes to change this by requiring individuals to notify law enforcement only when asked during a stop. This amendment intends to provide clarity and address the current law's ambiguous nature.
The bill has progressed through various stages of the legislative process. It passed the House Oversight Committee on October 28, 2021, and subsequently cleared the House on November 17, 2021, with a vote of 60 to 32. The bill then advanced to the Senate, where it was introduced as Senate Bill 215, sponsored by Senator Terry Johnson. The Senate committee voted to approve the bill, scrapping the requirements for training, background checks, and mandatory notification of firearm possession to law enforcement.
The proposed legislation has sparked debates between Republicans and gun advocates, who support the bill, and Democrats and anti-gun violence advocates, who oppose it. Supporters of the bill argue that it aligns with the Second Amendment and the constitutional right to bear arms. They also emphasize that it does not allow individuals currently prohibited from carrying a concealed weapon to do so but rather removes the permitting process. Additionally, they argue that citizens should be in control of their own safety, especially in light of increasing gun violence and crime rates.
On the other hand, opponents of the bill raise concerns about public safety and officer safety. They cite public health data suggesting links between permitless carry laws and violent crime. The existing law in Ohio, created in 2004, includes a 12-hour training requirement for concealed carry permits. HB227 would make this training optional, and critics argue that removing the training requirement could lead to unsafe situations for both the public and law enforcement officers. As the bill continues to advance through the legislative process, further discussions and amendments may occur before it reaches the governor's desk for final approval or veto.
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The bill will expand the stand your ground right to any place a person has a right to be
The Ohio Senate was expected to vote on the "Constitutional Carry" bill, also known as "permitless carry," as early as Wednesday, December 15, 2021. The bill, Senate Bill 215, would allow people in Ohio to carry a concealed handgun without a permit and relieve them of their duty to notify law enforcement during traffic stops that they are armed.
The bill will expand the "stand your ground" right to any place a person has a right to be. This means that individuals will no longer have a legal duty to retreat before responding to a perceived attack with lethal force, as long as they are in a place they have a legal right to be. This expands upon a previous "stand your ground" law passed in Ohio in 2020, which applied specifically to an individual's house and car.
Supporters of the bill, including Senator Niraj Antani, a co-sponsor, argue that it is aligned with the Second Amendment and an individual's constitutional right to bear arms. They also believe that concealed firearm carriers are mostly law-abiding citizens who are trying to exercise their Second Amendment rights. Additionally, the bill makes the previously mandatory eight hours of training optional, giving citizens more control over their safety.
However, opponents of the bill, including Democrats and anti-gun violence advocates, have criticized permitless carry proposals, citing public health data that links permitless carry laws to violent crime. Law enforcement officials have also raised concerns about officer safety, specifically regarding the removal of the duty to notify officers about weapons in a vehicle. Despite these concerns, the bill is expected to pass in the Senate, after which it will go to Governor DeWine for veto or approval.
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The bill will make the eight hours of training optional
The Ohio Senate was expected to vote on the Constitutional Carry bill, HB227, in December 2021. The bill would make the eight hours of training optional. The bill passed the House Oversight Committee on October 28 and then the House on November 17, 2021, with a vote of 60 to 32.
The bill would remove the requirement for a permit to carry a concealed firearm in Ohio. It would also relieve people carrying weapons of their duty to notify police officers during a stop that they are carrying a firearm unless the officer asks. The bill's sponsors argue that it is pro-Second Amendment and that "people should get training, but it doesn't have to be required."
Opponents of the bill, including Democrats and anti-gun violence advocates, argue that it will lead to more gun violence. They cite public health data that shows a link between permitless carry laws and violent crime. Law enforcement officials have also expressed concerns about officer safety if the bill is passed.
If the bill passes the Senate, it will go to Governor DeWine for approval or veto. Governor DeWine has not indicated whether he will support or oppose the bill.
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Frequently asked questions
The Ohio Constitutional Carry, or HB227, is a bill that would remove the requirement for a permit to carry a concealed firearm in the state of Ohio.
The bill has passed the House and is currently awaiting a vote in the Senate.
The timing of the vote is uncertain. It was initially expected to take place on a Wednesday in mid-December 2021, but it is unclear if it went ahead as planned.
The bill proposes to make the eight hours of training mandatory to obtain a concealed carry permit optional. It also removes the requirement for individuals to notify law enforcement during traffic stops that they are armed, unless asked by an officer.
Supporters of the bill argue that it is a win for constitutional rights, specifically the Second Amendment right to bear arms. They also believe that individuals should be in control of their own safety and that the bill would allow law-abiding citizens to protect themselves.
