COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Republican lawmakers have introduced a new wave of legislation that would continue to expand gun rights in Ohio.

Among the proposed changes are measures that would allow public officials to carry firearms in the Statehouse and other "non-secured" public buildings, ban law enforcement from melting down confiscated guns and loosen the state's definition of "automatic firearm."

The fresh legislation piggybacks on years of significant changes to Ohio's gun laws, which began in 2004 when Republican Gov. Bob Taft signed a law legalizing concealed handguns.

The proposals have gun advocates rejoicing and opponents reeling.

House Bill 191, introduced by Republican Rep. John Becker, of Southwest Ohio, would strip a clause from Ohio's definition of "automatic firearm" that classifies a semi-automatic weapon that fires more than 31 rounds without reloading as "automatic." The legislation would keep language that defines "automatic firearm" as a gun that fires multiple rounds with a single trigger pull -- a more traditional definition.

Doug Deeken, director of Ohioans for Concealed Carry, said the move is "just good house cleaning legislation."

"A firearm is either automatic, or it isn't," Deeken said. "This keeps Ohio from calling something a machine gun that the federal government wouldn't even call a machine gun. It's an arbitrary limit that needs to go."

Toby Hoover, executive director of the Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, said housekeeping is not the rationale behind HB 191.

"I think the motive there is to make sure Ohio is not limiting the number of rounds that can be in a magazine," Hoover said. "I think the motive is to make sure the number of rounds you can have is unlimited."

Becker's House Bill 210 would stop the state's law enforcement agencies from destroying legal, confiscated firearms and ammunition. Instead, agencies would be compelled to sell the ordnance to a federally licensed dealer.

The measure also gives law enforcement the option to sell the guns "for sporting use or as a museum piece or collectors' item."

"I like this one a lot," Deeken said. "The police or any agency should not be melting down a revenue source. They are beholden to this cult-like agenda in which they have to destroy them.

"I think it's a crime to melt down guns. The gun didn't do anything wrong. A person did something wrong."

Becker is also toiling on legislation that would give public employees who have a concealed-carry license the right to carry guns inside the Statehouse, including the House and Senate floors.

The legislation, which Becker said could be introduced this month, would apply to all "non-secured" public buildings.

"If the nut cases can get in with guns, then the good guys need to be able to defend themselves and shoot back," Becker said. "The bottom line is that it's about safety and security."

A "non-secured" public building would be defined as one that does not require every person who enters to pass through a metal detector, Becker said, adding that he intends to prohibit local and state governments from overriding the legislation if it's passed.

"I'm sort of divided on this one," Hoover said. "Do I think guns belong there? Absolutely not. But it's good that [legislators] are no longer exempting themselves from where guns are allowed."

The bill could run into a wall with the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board. The group is considering spending nearly $2 million to fortify the Statehouse with metal detectors and other security measures.

Becker said he has spoken to public employees in his district and has not received any negative feedback.

The idea doesn't sit well, however, with Democratic Rep. Nickie Antonio of Lakewood.

"At first blush, I think this is irresponsible and very troubling to hear," Antonio said. "It's just inappropriate. We are not living out on the prairie in the Wild West."

Since the 2004 legalization of concealed carry, Ohio lawmakers have tweaked the law to make it less restrictive, for example, by allowing concealed guns in bars, restaurants and stadiums. They also have enacted other laws expanding gun rights, including a measure in 2006 that voided assault weapons bans in Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton and the "castle doctrine" law in 2008, which assumes a homeowner who injures, maims or kills an intruder is acting in self-defense and places the burden on police and prosecutors to prove otherwise.

Becker's three gun proposals are not the only controversial firearms legislation on the agenda of this General Assembly, which is controlled by Republicans.

GOP Rep. Terry Johnson, of Southern Ohio, introduced a bill that would allow people from outside the state to carry a concealed gun in Ohio if they hold a concealed handgun license issued in another state. The proposal included in House Bill 203 would apply only to licenses issued by states that recognize concealed handgun licenses issued in Ohio.

In addition, HB 203 would change the training requirement to obtain a concealed handgun license. Current law states a person must go through 12 hours of training. HB 203 doesn't set a minimum number of hours required for competency.

Johnson's bill would also arm Medicaid fraud investigators appointed by the attorney general and expand the "castle doctrine" to apply outside of the home in any place a gun owner "lawfully has a right to be."

"Not everyone is a track star and the legal duty to retreat in Ohio law places the elderly, the infirm and those of us who have gained a few pounds at risk," Deeken said. "It's absurd that in order to satisfy the law that I must flee to protect my loved ones. 'Castle doctrine' was a great first step but [HB 203] is where the law should be."

Johnson did not respond to a request for comment on his gun legislation.

Hoover said the slew of new gun legislation would misplace priorities.

"We are making guns more important than people," Hoover said. "The whole scheme is always to let more people carry more guns in more places with less training."

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Gun restrictions eased in recent years

January 2004: Republican Gov. Bob Taft signs a bill legalizing concealed carry in Ohio.

December 2006: The legislature overrides a Taft veto, enacting a bill that expands the concealed-carry law. The bill allows permit holders to drive with their weapons holstered and hidden and sets one set of gun rules statewide -- nullifying more than 80 local firearms ordinances, including assault weapon bans in Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton.

June 2008: Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland signs the "castle doctrine" bill, which assumes a homeowner who injures, maims or kills an intruder is acting in self-defense and shifts the burden to police and prosecutors to prove otherwise. The law also allows concealed-carry permit holders to transport loaded firearms or unloaded weapons and ammunition together in the unlocked glove compartments or center consoles of vehicles.

June 2011: Republican Gov. John Kasich signs a bill that allows permit holders to carry firearms in all of Ohio's Class D licensed liquor establishments, which include bars, restaurants, nightclubs, shopping malls, museums and sports stadiums.

December 2012: Kasich signs a bill that permits guns to be kept in vehicles in the underground parking garage at the Ohio Statehouse. The bill also eliminates a requirement that concealed-carry permit holders obtain a competency certificate to get their licenses renewed and changes the definition of an unloaded weapon so that magazines could be kept loaded in a vehicle as long as they were not kept in the same compartment as a gun.

June 2013: Lawmakers introduce more gun-related bills. One would eliminate language in state law that defines an automatic weapon as "any semi-automatic firearm designed or specially adapted to fire more than 31 cartridges without reloading." Another would prohibit law enforcement officials from melting down confiscated guns.

Coming soon?

Legislation is in the works to allow public employees with permits to carry guns in the Statehouse and other public buildings.