A new bill in Ohio seeks to solve several problems many firearms enthusiasts and first-time gun buyers ran into during the pandemic, closed gun stores.
During the Covid-19 pandemic gun stores, like many businesses, were forced to close because a state of emergency was declared. This was a pretty significant issue as many saw Covid-19 and widespread rioting as the perfect reason to buy a gun for the first time and firearms enthusiasts saw it as the perfect time to stock up on ammunition and other accessories.
The new bill in Ohio seeks to prevent these closures in the future and further protect gun rights in the state.
From State House:
Ohio lawmakers will once again consider a bill to guarantee that state and local governments can’t seize guns or close gun stores or ranges during declared emergencies. This new version comes as Ohio has seen three mass shootings in three days.
The sponsors say the bill guarantees Second Amendment rights during emergencies, noting gun confiscations after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005 and pandemic-related shutdowns of gun stores in Michigan, but not in Ohio.
Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) said lawmakers ran out of time to consider the bill last year, so they’ll do it now – though there were three mass shootings in Ohio in as many days.
“These shootings, the things that are going on, they’re a tragedy. They’re tragic,” Schaffer said. “We pray that they would stop and we want to make sure that Ohioans are properly protected, particularly if there’s a state of emergency declared, which is what this bill will do.”
Ohio’s lockdown was not the worst in the country by any means, Michigan and California certainly beat them on all fronts in this regard, but the lockdown was still hard for most. No one is accusing Mike DeWine of overstepping any boundaries during the lockdown in the same way other governors have but this proposal still fits because he won’t be the governor forever and another emergency could always occur.
