Ohio Concealed Carry May Expand to Airports, Police Stations

Ohio legislators in the State House have reportedly passed a bill that would add to the places in which a duly licensed concealed carrier may legally have a handgun. But of course, this sensible approach faces opposition from the uninformed.

The sponsor of the bill (HB 48) is Rep. Ron Maag, R-Lebanon, said one of the purposes is to prevent concealed carriers from being prosecuted for safely carrying their guns in certain areas where they are currently banned.

It would prevent law-abiding citizens from unintended law-breaking in many circumstances.

Areas where concealed carry would be allowed include day care centers and “certain public areas of airports and police stations.” Private business owners will, of course, still have the option of whether to allow guns to be carried in their places of business.

Naturally, some liberal police and prosecutors oppose this small expansion of freedom.

‘Why should police put themselves at risk from those who arrive at a police station with no intention to do harm, but who, for whatever reason, become angry over some issue and have on them the means to do harm?’ John Gilchrist, legislative counsel for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, told a House panel.

Really? This is their argument? That a reasonable person, interested only in protecting him- or herself from attack, will pull a gun on police inside a police station? Come on.

The law near schools changes slightly, but makes little sense–and makes no provision for allowing licensees to protect students and themselves against school shooters:

The bill would allow someone to carry a handgun in a school safety zone if the person has a license and leaves the weapon inside a locked motor vehicle. Under current law, a person in a school safety zone could have a handgun in a vehicle only if the licensee is in the process of picking up or dropping off a student.

That’s pretty useless.

Democratic House Minority Leader Fred Strahorn was vocal in his opposition to this common-sense bill:

‘There is this weird assumption that just because you have a handgun and have a permit that you know what you’re doing,’ he said.

It seems to me, Mr. Strahorn, that you are operating under the “weird assumption” that concealed carriers, who have jumped through all the hoops and dutifully paid hard-earned dollars to purchase from the State their right to self-defense, are half-assed morons.

We’re not.

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone operated on facts rather than emotions? But I’m not holding my breath.

Next, the bill moves to the Ohio Senate for their consideration.

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.