Lawmakers in the Ohio House passed a bill prohibiting gun owners from being required to carry liability insurance and from being forced to pay extra fees to carry a firearm or possess a knife. But lawmakers stopped short of adding another measure to the bill that would have made it harder for federal authorities to enforce national gun laws in Ohio.
An attempt was made to add an amendment to Senate Bill 58, a bill dealing with insurance requirements for gun owners. The amendment, known as the Second Amendment Preservation Act introduced as House Bill 51, seeks to prevent the federal government from using state and local police to enforce gun laws. But Rep. Bill Seitz (R-Green Township) warned attaching that amendment would not fly with the Senate.
"We've got gun bills that would go right down the toilet if we do this,” Seitz said.
Earlier in the day, Senate President Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said he was concerned the amendment would create issues between federal law enforcement and local police and county sheriffs.
"I think that means there will be, when we have serious crimes, when we have murders and gang activity, especially with our immigration issues right now, that removes the ability to have folks come in and take care of that," Huffman said.
Though tacking on the amendment had been proposed by Rep. D.J. Swearingen (R-Huron), majority Republicans voted to reject it.
Democrats opposed SB 58 regardless of whether the amendment was added. Rep. Donatavius Jarrells (D-Columbus) called it “dangerous.”
"Weapons come with inherent risk," he said. "The very purpose of insurance is to mitigate that risk.”
SB 58 was approved 61-27.
Gov. Mike DeWine, in a breakfast with reporters Thursday morning, didn’t indicate whether he’d sign the bill backed by his fellow Republicans, adding he didn’t know much about it.
“I guess I’ll kind of reserve judgment,” DeWine said.
