COLUMBUS - For a week, a one-page pamphlet on Ohio gun laws stalled a larger proposal to allow Ohioans to carry concealed guns without a permit or mandatory training.

But the controversial pamphlet – which Ohio Gun Owners contended would get gun owners killed – was removed Wednesday in a close vote, freeing the committee to pass the permitless carry bill, 7-4.

House Bill 174, sponsored by Mount Lookout Rep. Tom Brinkman, would eliminate current requirements for carrying a concealed gun, including passing a background check and completing eight hours of training. The state already allows open carry without licensing.

Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford in Perry County, had delayed a vote on the bill after Ohio Gun Owners, a Second Amendment advocacy group, expressed concerns with an amendment that would have required licensed gun sellers to provide a one-page pamphlet on state firearm laws.

"You can’t be a law-abiding citizen without knowing the law," said Rep. Kyle Koehler, R-Springfield, who suggested the change.

But Ohio Gun Owners says any pamphlet would inform gun owners that they have a duty to retreat before shooting someone in a public space (not their home or vehicle.)

"And until Ohio fixes our distrous (sic) self-defense laws, Koehler’s amendment could get innocent people killed," the group wrote on its website.

Householder took those concerns to heart. "Ohio Gun Owners said in emails to my office that this amendment 'can get gun owners killed.' I take statements like that very seriously," Householder wrote on his Facebook page.

Koehler pushed back against that argument Wednesday.

"I almost feel like we’re saying that 'I don’t like the law that it’s 45 miles per hour in front of my house. If I just take down the sign, I can claim ignorance' when it comes to gun laws.”

Still, the pamphlet was removed. Even with that change, the proposal faces additional hurdles before it could become law.

Householder told reporters he plans to send the bill to the criminal justice committee for additional vetting – an unusual step that guarantees the expansion of concealed guns won't get a vote on the House floor until at least the fall.

What does the permitless carry bill do?

If the bill passes, Ohio would join 16 states, including Kentucky and West Virginia, that do not require permits for concealed firearms. Kentucky's law takes effect Thursday.

Police groups statewide oppose the bill because it eliminates a requirement that gun owners tell police that they are carrying a concealed firearm. Under current law, failure to notify police can lead to a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Republican Rep. Ryan Smith tried to add back the duty to notify law enforcement into the bill, but the effort failed without support from fellow GOP lawmakers.

“(Duty to notify) has a negative effect and creates a false sense of security for a law enforcement officer,” said Rep. Ron Hood, R-Ashville, another sponsor of the bill.

Ohio's GOP-controlled Legislature has expanded gun rights while rejecting gun control measures in recent years. Brinkman has said he's confident DeWine would sign the bill, which has support from 29 GOP lawmakers in the Ohio House.

Bump stock ban? No thanks

GOP lawmakers in Clermont County Rep. John Becker's federalism committee were wary of placing restrictions on gun owners. They rejected multiple attempts from Democrats to ban concealed guns in certain places or circumstances.

Among the rejected ideas were:

a ban on concealed guns on public transit.

a ban on concealed guns at polling places.

required background checks on more gun sales.

a ban on bump stocks used to make a semi-automatic weapon operate like an automatic one.

a ban on concealed carry for people who are subject to certain protection orders.

Hood argued that these proposals create additional hoops for gun owners to jump through without keeping anyone safer.

"Criminals do not respect the law," he said. "All this does is put an undue burden on law-abiding citizens."

Rep. Brigid Kelly, D-Hyde Park, argued that training was needed for concealed carry holders.

“Building a stronger state includes keeping people safe,” Kelly said. "Permitless carry makes all of Ohioans less safe."

Columbus bureau chief Jackie Borchardt contributed reporting.

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