The Ohio House adopted a bill Thursday that would allow concealed handgun license holders to avoid punishment if they enter a gun-free zone such as a school with a weapon.
If concealed licensees leave the premises when found with a gun under House Bill 233, they would face no criminal charges. After passing mostly along party lines in the House, 64 to 31, House Bill 233 now heads to the Senate for consideration, after summer recess.
The bill was one of three gun measures considered Wednesday by the House Federalism and Interstate Relations Committee chaired by Rep. Kristina Roegner, a Republican from Hudson. The other two — to excuse concealed carry holders from informing police they have a weapon when they’re stopped and allow Ohioans age 21 and older to carry a concealed firearm without obtaining a concealed handgun license — remain in committee.
The bill approved Thursday has protections against habitual offenders, said its sponsor, Rep. John Becker, a Republican from Union Township. If someone returns to a gun-free business or other location within 30 days, they face 30 days behind bars and a $250 fine. That’s a lighter sentence than the current law.
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