Bill would allow concealed carry without permit

A bill introduced Tuesday would allow Ohioans to carry concealed firearms without a permit.

The proposed legislation, introduced by Rep. Ron Hood, R-Ashville, and 20 co-sponsors, would allow Ohioans older than 21 to carry any concealed weapon not otherwise banned under state law.

Currently, individuals must obtain a concealed handgun license from the sheriff's office after completing an eight-hour course on safety and state laws surrounding gun use. Those licenses can be revoked or suspended.

In 2014, the number of new concealed carry handgun licenses issued in Ohio dropped for the first time in several years. Last year, 58,066 were issued new licenses compared to a record 96,972 in 2013, according to an Ohio Attorney General's Office report.

Under the proposal, carrying a concealed weapon would still be off-limits to people banned from carrying firearms, such as certain convicted felons. Concealed firearms would continue to be banned at police stations, prisons, airports, schools, places of worship, courthouses and other restricted areas.

The bill also would prohibit police from stopping individuals for merely carrying or possessing a firearm whether or not that person has a concealed carry permit.

Ken Hanson, legislative director of the Buckeye Firearms Association, said Ohio isn't ready for concealed carry without permits — a law that a few states have. Buckeye Firearms Association wasn't consulted before the bill was introduced, he added.

"It would be great," Hanson said of concealed carry without permits. "But the problem is we have already circulated our legislative priorities, and this bill has no chance of passage this session."

Jennifer Thorne, executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said the bill is one of many recently that seeks to expand the presence of hidden guns in Ohio. She called the lack of training "extremely disturbing."

"The bottom line is we think that this would be a bad law for Ohio," Thorne said.

jbalmert@gannett.com

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@jbalmert