COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A Hudson man who murdered his wife before killing himself might not have had access to a gun under a bill introduced by a pair of Northeast Ohio lawmakers.

Democrat Reps. Nickie Antonio of Lakewood and Janine Boyd of Cleveland Heights said Saturday's murder-suicide in Hudson is the latest example showing Ohio law does not do enough to keep guns out of the hands of abusers.

Antonio and Boyd introduced a bill Tuesday that would prohibit persons subject to certain civil protection orders and anyone convicted of a domestic violence crime from buying or possessing firearms.

Additionally, the bill would allow judges to place the same restrictions on people accused of abusing, if they were subject to a temporary protection order.

Stephen Bice was subject to both civil and temporary protection orders in the months before he killed his wife Kristi Bice. Bice had recently bought the Ruger 9-millimeter semiautomatic handgun used in the crime, according to police reports, but it was unknown how or when he bought it.

"As a legislator, as a neighbor, as a member of a community who never knows what goes on behind closed doors, this is personal," Boyd said at a Tuesday press conference. "The fact of the matter is guns are the leading weapon of choice when an abuser makes the irreversible decision to murder his victim. The fact of the matter is the most dangerous period for a victim is immediately after they file a civil protection order."

The bill faces an uncertain future in a GOP-controlled Statehouse that has advanced bills expanding gun rights.

As of Tuesday, the bill had no Republican co-sponsors. But Boyd and Antonio were hopeful they will get Republican support, as both sides of the aisle have approved bills to protect domestic violence victims.

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What would the bill do?

Antonio and Boyd said the bill mirrors federal law that has been largely unenforceable in Ohio.

The Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban, also called the Lautenberg Amendment, prohibits gun sales to people convicted of domestic violence crimes and subject to protection orders restraining the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child of the intimate partner.

Under the Ohio bill, domestic violence victims could list in a protection order all firearms owned by the alleged abusers. Like the federal law, the Ohio bill would require those protection orders to be issued after a hearing that the person was notified of and given an opportunity to be heard.

Abusers would have to surrender their firearms to local law enforcement or federally licensed firearms dealer within 24 hours of the judgment. Violating the law would be a fifth-degree felony.

The firearm restriction would show up during a criminal background check and bar a gun shop from selling to the abuser. Firearms would be returned when the protection order expires.

What is the response?

Nancy Neylon, executive director of the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, said women in abusive relationships are six times more likely to be killed when a gun is present in the house. Neylon said the bill will allow courts to enforce federal law and will save lives.

Antonio said the bill won't stop every domestic abuse case from ending in homicide but it will help protect families.

"The reality is we do the best we can," Antonio said. "We don't want a woman to be murdered. I don't think we want that intimate partner to spend the rest of his life in jail either. This is giving time for both sides to cool off and maybe step back."