State lawmakers are aiming to take up a number of gun bills during committee hearings this week, according to the legislative schedule.
On Tuesday, the House Policy and Legislative Oversight Committee is set to vote on a substitute bill for a gun bill that includes a “stand your ground” clause, according to the House schedule.
House Bill 203, brought by state Rep. Terry Johnson, a McDermott Republican, seeks to make Ohio compliant with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, so anyone with a state handgun license doesn’t have to get an NICS check when they purchase a gun.
Democrats, though, have criticized a provision in the bill stating that people in Ohio have no duty to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense, so long as they’re in a place where they have a right to be. They compared the clause to a Florida state law highlighted during the Trayvon Martin murder trial, though proponents of HB 203 say the language in the bill isn’t the same.
On Wednesday, House Judiciary Committee members will get their first look at a bill that would allow concealed weapons in Ohio churches, day care centers, government buildings, and private aircraft.
House Bill 231, sponsored by state Rep. Ron Maag, a Republican from Lebanon, would also give colleges and universities the option of allowing concealed weapons on campus and limit unarmed “victim zones” to secure areas in airports, police stations, and schools.
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