PHOTO: Hearings were held at the statehouse Wednesday on several bills that would radically overhaul Ohio's existing gun laws. Photo credit: Anita Peppers/Morguefile.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - During the lame-duck legislative session now under way, state lawmakers are considering several bills that would radically revamp gun laws in Ohio. House Bill 203 received a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday.



Toby Hoover, founder of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, describes HB 203 as allowing a person to use lethal force - without question - if they feel their life is being threatened. She's concerned this "Stand Your Ground" law could lead to more gun violence.



"Any time you're going to be a person that is carrying around a weapon, you ought to be able to be questioned on whatever your activity is with it," says Hoover. "'Stand your ground' is like giving permission for everybody to become a police officer."



Supporters say the measure allows people to better defend themselves.



Additional gun bills which had hearings on Wednesday include SB 338, which would allow investigators with the Attorney General's office to carry firearms, and HB 234, which would allow the use of a "noise suppressor" for game bird hunters.



Wednesday marked the fourth hearing for SB 338, which would also remove the criminal penalty for a permit-holder who carries a weapon onto privately-owned property. Hoover warns this effectively takes away a person's right to not allow weapons on their property.



"This is a real slippery slope we're beginning to go down," she says. "There's some real concern here for what the Ohio Legislature ought to do, or not do, and also what they'll try to sneak through during 'lame duck' session when they think nobody's watching."



SB 338 also eliminates a rule requiring a person applying for a concealed carry license to have been a resident of Ohio for at least 45 days, and reduces the number of hours required for a firearms certification course from 12 to eight.



Hoover says only five percent of Ohioans have concealed carry permits, and the state needs to consider the views of the majority.



"Do we really want to put our safety in the hands of five percent of the population?" asks Hoover. "People who are acting like law enforcement when they're not? This seems to be an ongoing fight for them - to not have any rules or regulations on where they can carry their weapons."



Supporters of the measures say they are aimed at making improvements to Ohio's concealed carry rules.