Gun Legislation
*please check back often as we are researching to provide resources to help you to submit testimony regularly
As we move forward trying to find ways to make an impact on gun violence plaguing our nation please know that we can have the greatest impact in our local statehouses. We hope to help you learn so much about the bills as they are being written by outside groups and funded by gun manufactures.
However, there are larger organizations that are focused on these types of bills specifically and we suggest that you sign up for their newsletters and emails if this is a passionate topic for you. They will host virtual events to help educate you on the specifics of the bills, help you with your written testimony, invite you to in person events and alert you when testimony could be required giving you a bit more time to prepare. We have been working with a few of these organizations closely as individuals and have worked with them as an organization. So please feel confident in pursuing the links we share with you, if we are uncertain of an organization we will post a disclaimer,
Clark County Democratic Women’s Issues Network (WIN) Leadership
DeWine signs bill allowing for armed teachers: "This is a local choice"
Individual teachers, teachers’ unions, the Fraternal Order of Police, anti-gun violence activists and others opposed the legislation, arguing that insufficiently trained teachers are likely to harm students more than help in any active shooter situation. -Ohio Capital Journal
DeWine's idea of getting something done following the Dayton Mass Shooting is to pass legislation that would likely get him voted back into office by his party rather than protecting Ohioans
DeWine proposed expanded background checks, safety protection orders, and other gun regulations in August 2019 after the Dayton mass shooting where nine victims were killed. The day after that shooting, DeWine addressed mourners at a vigil where he was greeted by people chanting “do something.”
On Friday, DeWine was asked if the proposals he laid out for school safety would answer the call to “do something.” He stopped short of answering the question and instead said he looks to propose legislation that can be effective and pass the legislature.
“Look, my job is to get as much done as I can that will actually get done. And I could, you know, get up and give speeches every day about certain things. But if there's no chance that they're going to happen, I'm wasting everybody's time and misleading people,” said DeWine.
Sensible Gun Legislation is not found on his page of priorities
"Last week, I called on the General Assembly to pass a bill that would allow local school districts, if they so chose, to designate armed staff for school security and safety," DeWine said in a statement after Wednesday's vote. "My office worked with the General Assembly to remove hundreds of hours of curriculum irrelevant to school safety and to ensure training requirements were specific to a school environment and contained significant scenario-based training.
House Bill 99 exempts teachers and school personnel from completing 700 hours of peace officer training, in order to carry a gun. -WLWT 5 News
Urgent Call for Testimony House Bill will arm teachers and increase the risk to students
This past week they have bent the narrative, a trained off duty boarder patrol agent was no ordinary good guy with a gun, he has many hours of training and this bill does not require the teachers to under go a fraction of the hours he needed to end the situation in Texas.
This legislation would give local school boards the authority to put guns in the hands of teachers moved forward in the Ohio Senate after passing the House more than four months ago.
Mike Weinman testified on behalf of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio. “When armed, the teacher’s primary responsibility is no longer teaching but an armed first responder. She will be required to abandon her students and respond to whatever threat may be in the building at a moment’s notice.”
In fact, an armed teacher cannot, in a moment of extreme duress and confusion, be expected to transform into a specially trained law enforcement officer. An armed teacher is much more likely to shoot a student bystander or be shot by responding law enforcement than to be an effective solution to an active shooter in a school.
There have been numerous incidents where guns carried into schools were misplaced—guns left in bathrooms, locker rooms, sporting events, even an incident where a gun fell out while a teacher did a backflip. - Everytown
But there’s been no talk of moving any of the 15 bills on gun restrictions proposed by Democrats. They include required universal background checks, raising the minimum firearm purchase age to 21, creating so-called "red flag" laws allowing courts to confiscate weapons from potentially dangerous people, and repealing the permitless carry law and the "Stand Your Ground" law, both signed earlier this year. -Statehouse News
Once you have written your testimony use the links below to email your forms to Chair Frank Hoagland, his secretary, Genevieve Ramsey and Ranking Member Thomas
Monday, May 30 at 2:30 pm
Please click on our testimony workshop if you need help or have questions on how to write and submit testimony, use these forms below when submitting your testimony
Visit MOMS DEMAND ACTION for more assistance
Links to learn more about House Bill 99
HB 99: Regards persons authorized to go armed within school safety zone Republicans
HEARING JUN 1 2022 FIND RECORDED SESSION HERE
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Links to learn more about House Bill 455
HB 455: Avoid carrying weapon where prohibited charge if leave on request Republicans
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Links to learn more about House Bill 38
HB 38: Limit the locations at which a person has no duty to retreat Democrats
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Links to learn more about House Bill 62
HB 62: Ohio Second Amendment Safe Haven Act Republicans
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Links to learn more about House Bill 259/SB73
SB 73 / HB 259: Regards firearms transfers; require background check Democrats
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Links to learn more about SB74
SB 74: Raise the minimum age to purchase a firearm Democrats
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Links to learn more about SB 75
SB 75: Regulate the transfer of firearms at a gun show Democrats
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Links to learn more about House Bill 274/SB76
SB 76 / HB 274: Restore local authority to regulate firearms-related conduct Democrats
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Links to learn more about SB77
SB 77: Regards certain items that increase firearms’ rate of fire Democrats
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Links to learn more about House Bill 89
HB 89: Revise concealed handgun licensee requirement to notify Republicans
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Links to learn more about House Bill 257/SB138
SB 138 / HB 257: Extreme Risk Protection Order Act Democrats, one supporting Republican
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Links to learn more about House Bill 325/SB185
SB 185 / HB 325: regards emergency powers when suppressing a riot; firearms rights Republicans
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Links to learn more about House Bill 360/SB 205
SB 205 / HB 360: Designate Gun Violence Awareness Month Democrats (June)
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Links to learn more about House Bill 227/505 SB 215
SB 215 / HB 227 / HB 505: Regards concealed handgun licensee duties Republicans
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Links to learn more about SB 243
SB 243: Prohibit biased policing Democrats
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Links to learn more about House Bill 262
HB 262: Enact Child Access Prevention Tax Credit Act Democrats
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Links to learn more about SB 293
SB 293: Prohibit requiring fees, liability insurance to possess firearms Republicans
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Links to learn more about House Bill 297
HB 297: Firearms Industry Nondiscrimination Act Republicans
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Links to learn more about House Bill 383
HB 383: Modify penalties for certain weapons offense Republicans
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Links to learn more about House Bill 617
HB 617: Require firearms dealer to provide specified brochure to buyers Republicans
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Links to learn more about House Bill 630
HB 630: Repeal S.B. 215 of the 134th GA re: conceal carry Democrats
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Links to learn more about House Bill 661
HB 661: Require gun trigger locks with firearm sales Democrats, one supporting Republican