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Gun Rights Group Says New Law May Outlaw Many Common Shotguns, Rifles

An AR-15, one of the weapons Ohio Gun Owners says would be banned if the law takes effect as written.
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An AR-15, one of the weapons Ohio Gun Owners says would be banned if the law takes effect as written.

A gun owners’ group is taking aim at a self-defense law passed in the lame duck session last year – saying it could make felons out of half a million Ohioans who own certain weapons.

The law was changed to remove a “stand your ground” provision.

But Chris Dorr with Ohio Gun Owners said a section that he believes will outlaw many shotguns and rifles such as the AR-15 was overlooked.

Gov. Kasich vetoed the ultimate gun control bill that, had he known what was going on, he definitely would not have vetoed it," Dorr said.

Lawmakers overrode Kasich’s veto.

Republican Rep. Nino Vitale (R-Urbana), a strong gun rights supporter, blamed the rush of the lame duck process for what he calls a “drafting error” not being caught.

“It wasn’t the intent. It’s frankly embarrassing," Vitale said.

Dorr wants an emergency fix before the law takes effect in late March.

Vitale said he and other lawmakers are working on it, but he thinks it’s unlikely that prosecutions will happen.

Copyright 2019 The Statehouse News Bureau

Contact Karen at 614/578-6375 or at kkasler@statehousenews.org.