Republican leaders in the Ohio House and Senate have largely ignored Republican Gov. John Kasich’s appeal for expedited action on his proposal to update the state’s gun laws.
But they will be hard-pressed to turn a deaf ear to a broad coalition of students, teachers, school counselors, police chiefs, pediatricians and Catholic clergy demanding a vote on the governor’s packages of reform.
Indeed, in a joint letter sent last week to state legislative leaders, the groups representing the police chiefs and others criticized the Ohio General Assembly’s seeming “lack of urgency” in updating Ohio’s gun laws.
There are companion bills in the House and Senate containing changes recommended by a bipartisan advisory panel convened by Kasich. The measures have been stalled since mid-April.
Two months ago, we suggested that Republican majorities in Congress and in the Ohio Legislature are dragging their feet on enacting sensible gun-control legislation because they fear the politically powerful National Rifle Association.
It is noteworthy that Republican President Donald J, Trump and Republican Gov. Kasich are pushing for changes to existing guns laws, but are unable to get GOP lawmakers to act.
In early March, Trump met with members of Congress from both parties and made it clear he would take on the NRA to get national gun-control legislation enacted.
Gov. Kasich, recognizing that this is an issue that crosses political lines, formed a bipartisan gun-policy advisory group after a sniper killed 58 people attending an open-air country music concert in Las Vegas.
Kasich is urging state lawmakers to adopt a package of reforms that would: take guns away from people at risk of hurting themselves or others; keep guns away from those convicted of domestic violence; facilitate gun-violence protection orders; close some gaps
