Ohio Governor Kasich Signs Restaurant Firearms Carry Into Law
Written by Jeff Garvas
Ohio –-(Ammoland.com)- Just over an hour ago I had the honor of watching Governor John Kasich sign Senate Bill 17 and House Bill 54 into law in the Cermony Signing room of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio.
I was joined today by our legislative coordinator Gary Witt, a long-time coordinator (and key HB203 architect) Mike Kinsey, and members of our legal counsel team including Mr. David Kessler, Esq. and Derek Debrosse, Esq.
Shortly after concealed carry became law in 2004 it became quite obvious that one of the biggest flaws in our law was the fact that you couldn’t walk into most restaurants. Within a year the Ohioans For Concealed Carry Board of Directors concluded that this topic was one of the most requested and sought after fixes from our supporters. We regularly tried to make this an issue that got traction, but it always fell to the side of other equally important topics – such as statewide preemption.
Finally, in 2009, we wrote our own law and started shopping the concept to various law makers. Since the day that the Legislative Services Counsel came back with our proposed legislation with virtually no changes this legislation has existed as a bill under consideration in one form or another. As you read our website today you will find a story by Gary Witt that goes into the very nitty gritty details of what it took to make this law happen over the past three years. If you appreciate the hard work and effort that went into this, help us grow our influence by signing up friends and family you see over the Fourth of July as members of Ohioans For Concealed Carry.
Finally, an article on our website by Phil Mulivor aims to explain to you exactly what is changing in Ohio law in an incredibly easy to read manner. Watch for these to appear today on our website.
It is vital that you walk away with this understanding: If the bill is filed with the Secretary of States office today (June 30th), I expect it to “go into effect” on Thursday, September 29th. If the bill isn’t considered filed until Friday (July 1st), I do not expect the bill to “go into effect” until Friday, September 30th — what this basically means is DO NOT start carrying a firearm in your vehicle or a restaurant as if these new regulations exist, because “legal day one” is not until this fall.
As of 4:55pm the Secretary of State’s office advised Ohioans For Concealed Carry they have not received the law. Once that date is absolutely finalized by the Ohio Secretary of State’s office we will publish it on our websites.
About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org