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Bill Would Give Cities Right To Make Their Own Gun Laws Again

Sen. Cecil Thomas testifies for other gun reforms
Jo Ingles
Sen. Cecil Thomas testifies for other gun reforms

Ohio lawmakers passed a law in 2006 that prevented local governments from passing any gun laws that are more restrictive than those enacted at the state level, and when cities challenged it, the Ohio Supreme Court upheld the law. Now, there’s a move afoot to change it.

Democratic Sen. Cecil Thomas is sponsoring a bill to allow cities to, once again, implement gun reforms. He says the one size fits all approach now in place isn’t working.

“What may be of interest in the rural areas could be detrimental in an urban core," Thomas says.

Thomas points to rallies in cities where tempers are hot and guns are plentiful as examples of situations that local communities should be able to control the way they see fit. No Republicans have signed on to his bill. And while polls have shown some public support for gun reforms, it will be a challenge to get enough majority Republicans to embrace the idea of giving control over gun laws back to cities.

Copyright 2020 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.

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Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.
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