In the eight years since Ohio passed a concealed weapons law, county sheriffs have issued 296,588 permits to carry firearms in purses, holsters and vehicles, reports the Dayton Daily News. In Ohio, where the legislature in recent years has eased restrictions on concealed-carry, even over the objections of some law enforcement groups, a battle is being waged over just where to draw the line. Five bills currently pending in the Ohio General Assembly would allow permit holders to carry their weapons in state-owned parking garages, loosen permit renewal requirements, eliminate required gun safety training and background checks and automatically expand the system for recognizing CCW permits issued by other states.
Gun advocates had been working with Ohio lawmakers to pass a “Stand Your Ground” law similar to what Florida has, said Jim Irvine, spokesman for the pro-gun Buckeye Firearms Association, though he noted that the Trayvon Martin slaying in Florida “put a chill on it.” He said the gun lobby in Ohio has been successful for two reasons. “Number one is the facts are on our side,” he said. “We were the last state to adopt concealed carry so we were not breaking any new ground here. The other piece is gun owners, particularly concealed carry owners, are politically active.”