Ohio Democrats continue to propose legislation to curb gun violence, unsuccessfully in recent years. The latest bill would ban “weapons of mass destruction,” which are semi-automatic weapons that can or could be designed to fire more than 31 rounds. So it’s no wonder Republicans aren’t giving up.
The gunman who killed nine people, and later himself, used a semi-automatic rifle during one of Ohio’s worst mass shootings. According to the FBI, he had a 100-round magazine and fired 41 shots into the crowd in Dayton in 30 seconds.
The 2019 tragedy did not result in any statewide legislative changes regarding gun safety.
“I think a gun that fires multiple bullets at once is appropriate for the battlefield,” said Michelle Lee Heym, a volunteer with Moms Demand Action.
Heym is originally from Connecticut but moved in 2015, two and a half years after the trauma of having her daughters locked up during the Sandy Hook massacre.
Four years later, she dealt with the fear of the Dayton shooting. Since then, she has become more involved in anti-gun violence efforts.
She supports House Bill 443that would prohibit the utilize of “any weapon of mass use,” defined in the bill as a semi-automatic weapon designed or specially adapted to fire more than 31 rounds without reloading, other than a firearm chambered in .22 caliber, handgun, longshot, or long rifle cartridges.
“There is no reason to equip guns with magazines that can hold 50, 70 or even 100 rounds,” said Willis E. Blackshear Jr., state representative of the bill’s sponsor. (D-Dayton). “It’s time to take action and ban these weapons so our communities can be safer.”
If passed into law, anyone possessing a “weapon of mass use” could face a fifth-degree felony – up to a year in prison and a fine of $2,500.
There is a list of exceptions for who can possess weapons, which includes law enforcement officers.
“I don’t think they understand how firearms work,” said Rob Sexton of the Buckeye Firearms Association.
Sexton added that this bill represents a huge shift.
“In fact, House Bill 433 would ban firearms unless the entire domestic firearms industry changes its production practices to somehow prohibit the acceptance of larger magazines,” he said.
He believes this bill violates both the Second Amendment and the free market. He added that responsible gun owners should not be punished because of people like the Dayton shooter.
Given this, he is not concerned about moving forward with this bill. There continues to be no interest from GOP legislative leaders in any gun safety reform.
“Democrats should focus on enforcing existing laws against criminals, not attacking law-abiding Ohioans through repeated attempts to restrict or repeal the Second Amendment,” said Senate President Matt Huffman’s spokesman, John Fortney.
House Speaker Jason Stephens’ team confirmed that he, too, is not considering the bill.
“Speaker Stephens is a huge supporter of the Second Amendment, and when it comes to legislation like this, the support in the House is simply not there,” said spokesman Pat Melton.
State Rep. Dani Isaacsohn (R-Cincinnati) explained that despite calls from Democrats and some Republicans for “common sense gun laws,” lawmakers have only passed bills loosening firearms regulations.
“We allow extremist ideology to stop us from keeping people safe,” Isaacsohn said.
He said there were two main reasons for this: gerry manipulation and extremism.
“We don’t have adequate representation,” the Democrat said. “Most elected officials of the majority party are, on some issues, including this one, held captive by the extremist wing of the party.”
The legislator then referenced a number of different polls, all of which show that Ohioans – as well as people in the United States – want stronger gun legislation.
In non-partisan statewide survey conducted in 2023 by the USA TODAY Network/Suffolk University, approximately 90% of Ohioans support mandatory background checks and 75% support protected storage and warning laws. Nonpartisan School of Public Health Johns Hopkins Bloomberg reflected the results, adding that more than 70% of Americans want people to be able to buy guns through the licensing process. As for the division of parties, it is non-partisan Pew Research Center found that 60% of Republicans and 91% of Democrats oppose the ability to carry a concealed firearm without a permit.
Sexton said conservative lawmakers are simply following the Constitution and it has nothing to do with the influence of the gun lobby.
“You can’t have the Second Amendment if you can’t buy a gun,” Sexton said.
There is a solution if lawmakers won’t listen to people who want safety regulations, Heym replied.
“Maybe we can get something like a background check as part of a ballot initiative,” Heym said.
This would result in lawsuits, Sexton argued.
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This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication on other news outlets because it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.
