| HB324 Introduced: Two steps backwards for Ohio CCW? |
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| Written by Jeff Garvas | |
| Friday, 12 August 2005 | |
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Ohioans For Concealed Carry has reviewed Ohio House Bill 324, introduced by Representative Joseph Koziura (D-56, Lorain) on Thursday. Koziura's concealed carry bill is co-sponsored by eight other Democrats, including: Allen (D-39, Dayton), Barrett (D-32, Cincinnati), DeBose (D-12, Cleveland) Fende (D-62, Willowick), Otterman (D-45, Akron), Patton (D-60, Youngstown), Skindell (D-13, Lakewood), Williams, (D-41, Akron). The bill is narrowly focused on completely prohibiting University and public or private school properties, while tweaking a brief section on law enforcement right to carry. HB324 is clearly aimed at taking a bad section of Ohio's CCW law and making it worse. As many of you may already know, HB12 (Today's current law) was passed after lawmakers gave in to organized education leaders who insisted on strict limits within the area of a university. Today, you may not carry a concealed firearm onto property owned by a university or public or private school of "higher education", but you may lock it in your vehicle in the parking lot or be in the process of doing so. HB324 removes that exemption and specifically prohibits all premises including, but not limited to, any building, structure, parcel of land, or parking lot that is owned or leased by any of these schools. HB324 even goes so far as to clarify these entities into the realm of "private employer" for the purposes of imposing employee rules that prohibit having a firearm in your vehicle. Finally, HB324 is bad for cops too -- a section of law that previously read as an affirmative right "A peace officer has the same right to carry a concealed handgun in this state as a person who was issued a license to carry a concealed handgun.." has been reduced to an affirmative-defense like disclaimer, which reads in part "Nothing in sections 2923.124 to 2923.1213 of the Revised Code limits, negates, restricts, or affects any right or authority of any" peace officer. Contrary to what you may have heard, Ohioans For Concealed Carry has determined that this legislation does not remove the requirement to carry in plain sight while in a motor vehicle, nor is there a single favorable aspect of this legislation to be found by OFCC. Interested parties should use the ALET System, erase the template letter and write your representatives insisting that they not allow us to take steps backwards when the current restrictions on university property already go too far. We will keep you apprised of this bill's progress. Please consider joining CCW-ALERT if you are not already subscribed. |