COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the first time in more than 20 years of trying, gun-rights advocates in Ohio say they’re optimistic that the state will soon no longer require a license to carry a hidden handgun or other deadly weapons.

Nearly half of all Ohio House Republicans are co-sponsoring new legislation to abolish the state’s conceal-carry license and training requirements. The legislation, House Bill 174, would also expand the list of allowable concealed weapons to include rifles and shotguns, instead of just handguns.

In addition, the bill would repeal an Ohio law requiring motorists stopped by law enforcement to notify the officer if they are carrying a gun.

Similar legislation has been introduced during every Ohio legislative session for at least two decades, but all of those attempts went nowhere. The difference now is that Gov. Mike DeWine, unlike his recent predecessors, is expected to sign the bill if it passes the Republican-dominated Ohio General Assembly.

“I never expected it to pass during prior sessions,” said Jim Irvine, president of the pro-gun rights Buckeye Firearms Association. “But I think this session it is likely to.”

A DeWine spokesman declined to say whether the governor would sign HB 174 but noted that the Greene County Republican generally supports what he said were Second Amendment rights.

Currently, Ohioans wishing to carry a concealed handgun must obtain a $67 permit from their local county sheriff and complete a minimum of eight hours of safety training (at least two hours of which must be range or live-fire training). They also must be at least 21 years old and not disqualified from carrying a gun because of a past felony conviction.

However, an increasing number of other states are moving to abolish such permit requirements. Earlier this month, neighboring Kentucky became the 16th state to let people carry concealed guns without needing government approval.

“It’s not something that’s like this ‘holy cow’ controversial thing,” Irvine said of conceal-carry without a permit. “It’s like, well this is ‘common-sense, let’s knock this out of the way quick and easy’ type stuff.”

In Ohio, past attempts to loosen state conceal-carry rules have been opposed by law-enforcement groups such as the Ohio Police Chiefs Association and gun-control advocacy organizations like the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence.

DeWine’s predecessor, John Kasich, signed some measures to loosen gun-control rules. But it was expected that he would veto any bill that would eliminate conceal-carry permits, and in his final year in office he bickered with Republican legislative leaders about the need for more gun-control rules.

Toby Hoover, the founder of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, disagreed that HB 174 has a better chance of becoming law than similar, unsuccessful legislation in the past.

But, Hoover added, “It’s a dangerous place we’re going."

“It’s another step backwards in our culture I think when we start accepting the fact that not only if you’re trained can you carry [a concealed weapon], but you can carry one without being trained or have anybody even know you’re carrying one,” she said.