The gun regulation portion of Gov. Mike DeWine's plan to reduce gun violence will likely meet resistance in the Ohio House. Speaker Larry Householder (R-Glenford) says his members of the Republican-controlled chamber have several areas of concern.
The plan includes expanded background checks and DeWine's version of the "Red Flag Law" which allows courts to confiscate guns from potentially dangerous people.
Householder says among the concerns is the three-day period between a request to confiscate guns and a court hearing.
"To me, that's giving someone a heads up to do bad things," says Householder, adding that the current procedure through law enforcement investigations ensures due process.
As for background checks, DeWine's plan would expand those checks for online and gun show sales, closing the "Gun Show Loophole." Householder says that focuses on personal transfers which he says cannot be practically applied.
"Two people who are going to sell each other a gun have to agree that 'we're gonna call into a background information center' or something. And the other question I have is, again, the system has to be right for it to work. I think that we have some flaws in our system that need correcting."
Senate President Larry Obhof (R-Medina) says his concerns about DeWine’s version of a "Red Flag Law" have been alleviated. DeWine’s 17-point plan, announced a few days after the mass shooting in Dayton, also includes background checks, mental health initiatives and social media monitoring.
Copyright 2019 The Statehouse News Bureau
