Ohio's Republican Gov. Taft Blocks Concealed-Weapons Bill
NewsMax.com Wires
Thursday, Dec. 11, 2003
COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio lawmakers approved legislation that
would let residents carry concealed weapons, but Gov. Bob Taft said
Thursday he would veto it.
The bill, passed by wide margins in the House and Senate on
Wednesday, would allow Ohio residents to carry concealed weapons
after passing a background check and completing safety training.
Taft, a Republican, promised a veto after unsuccessfully pushing
to give reporters access to all names of permit holders by county.
The bill passed by the legislature would allow reporters access to
limited public records only name by name.
"We really came very close to a bill that I could sign, and it's
regrettable that we did not, but the public records portion of the
bill is simply too limiting," Taft said Thursday.
House Speaker Larry Householder said he believed he had the
votes to override a veto, but Senate President Doug White said he
did not.
Forty-five other states have some version of a concealed-weapons
law, according to the National Rifle Association.
Ohio law gives people arrested for carrying a hidden gun
a chance to prove that the practice was essential for safety, a so-called affirmative defense.
The new bill would allow emergency 90-day permits for people who
pass a background check and sign an affidavit saying they believe
their lives are in danger. In addition, people without a permit
could carry concealed weapons on their own property and still use
the affirmative defense, an exception aimed at large property
owners, such as farmers.
© 2003 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Editor's note:
FREE e-mail alerts from NewsMax.com – click here now!
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Guns/Gun Control