Ohio: House Committees to Receive Public Comment on Important Hunting and Right-to-Carry Reform Bills on Tuesday

On Tuesday, October 29, two NRA-backed bills of importance to gun owners and sportsmen will be up for public comment in their respective state House committee.

At 10:00 a.m. in Statehouse Room 116, the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee will take proponent/opponent testimony on House Bill 234, important pro-hunting reform legislation.  Sponsored by state Representative Cheryl Grossman, HB 234 would repeal Ohio’s current prohibition on the use of a suppressor while hunting.  Currently, more than half of the states allow hunters to use suppressors while hunting.  There are numerous benefits to hunting with suppressed firearms including elimination of noise complaints that are frequently an excuse to close hunting lands, reduction of recoil and muzzle rise to increase accuracy, and to help protect against hearing loss.  For more information on hunting with suppressors, please click here.

The NRA encourages individuals to attend and speak in support of this hunting reform.  If you are unable to attend Tuesday’s hearing, please call AND e-mail members of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and urge them to support HB 234.  Contact information for members of this committee is provided below.

Also at 10:00 a.m. in Statehouse Room 115, the state House Policy and Legislative Committee will take proponent/opponent testimony on House Bill 203, a measure that seeks to make common sense improvements to Ohio’s current concealed carry and self-defense laws.  Sponsored by state Representative Terry Johnson (R-90), HB 203 would make the following changes to Ohio’s current firearm laws:

• Strengthens the existing criminal background check process to obtain an Ohio Concealed Handgun License (CHL) by requiring all CHL applicants to undergo a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) compliant background check.  This improvement is the first step in allowing Ohio CHL holders to qualify for a NICS exemption when purchasing a firearm.
• Establishes an automatic reciprocity system.
• Eliminates the 12 hour minimum training requirement to obtain a competency certificate required to apply for a CHL.
• Applies the same federal disqualifiers for the possession and purchase of a firearm to applicants for a CHL.
• Establishes a non-resident application process to obtain a CHL.
• Modifies the state's self-defense law. Under current law, a person has no duty to retreat before using deadly force if that person is in their own home or automobile.  This legislation would expand that to any place a person has a lawful right to be.

Please also attend and speak in support of this critical right-to-carry and self-defense reform bill.  If you are unable to attend this hearing, please call AND e-mail members of the House Policy and Legislative Committee and urge them to support HB 203.  Contact information for members of this committee is provided below.

House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee:

Representative David Hall (R-70), Chairman
(614) 466-2994
E-mail

Representative Andy Thompson (R-95), Vice Chairman
(614) 644-8728
E-mail

Representative Jack Cera (D-96), Ranking Minority
(614) 466-3735
E-mail

Representative Nick Barborak (D-5)
(614) 466-8022
E-mail

Representative Terry Boose (R-57)
(614) 466-9628
E-mail

Representative Jim Buchy (R-84)
(614) 466-6344
E-mail

Representative Tony Burkley (R-82)
(614) 644-5091
E-mail

Representative Kathleen Clyde (D-75)
(614) 466-2004
E-mail

Representative Michael Curtin (D-17)
(614) 644-6005
E-mail

Representative Rex Damschroder (R-88)
(614) 466-1374
E-mail

Representative Christina Hagan (R-50)
(614) 466-9078
E-mail

Representative Brian Hill (R-97)
(614) 644-6014
E-mail

Representative Al Landis (R-98)
(614) 466-8035
E-mail

Representative Matt Lynch (R-76)
(614) 644-5088
Email

Representative Sean O’Brien (D-63)
(614) 466-3488
E-mail

Representative John Patterson (D-99)
(614) 466-1405
E-mail

Representative Dorothy Pelanda (R-86)
(614) 466-8147
E-mail

Representative Chris Redfern (D-89)
(614) 644-6011
E-mail

Representative Wes Retherford (R-51)
(614) 644-6721
E-mail

Representative Margaret Ann Ruhl (R-68)
(614) 466-1431
E-mail

Representative Gary Scherer (R-92)
(614) 644-7928
E-mail

Representative Fred Strahorn (D-39)
(614) 466-1607
E-mail

Representative Roland Winburn (D-43)
(614) 466-2960
E-mail

House Policy and Legislative Committee:

Representative Mike Dovilla (R-07), Chairman
(614) 466-4895 
E-mail

Representative Jim Buchy (R-84), Vice Chairman
(614) 466-6344 
E-mail

Representative Ronald V. Gerberry (D-59), Ranking Minority
(614) 466-6107
E-mail

Representative John Adams (R-85)
(614) 466-1507 
E-mail

Representative Louis W. Blessing III (R-29)
(614) 466-9091 
E-mail

Representative Andrew Brenner (R-67)
(614) 644-6711 
E-mail

Representative Jack Cera (D-96)
(614) 466-3735 
E-mail

Representative Kathleen Clyde (D-75)
(614) 466-2004
E-mail

Representative Michael F. Curtin (D-17)
(614) 644-6005
E-mail

Representative Teresa Fedor (D-45)
(614) 644-6017 
E-mail

Representative Matt Huffman (R-04)
(614) 466-9624 
E-mail

Representative Dorothy Pelanda (R-86)
(614) 466-8147 
E-mail

Representative Rick Perales (R-73)
(614) 644-6020 
E-mail