The survey suggests that, in the wake of the Dayton mass shooting earlier this month, the GOP-controlled Ohio legislature could be convinced to pass its first “gun control” bill in years. The bigger hurdle will be clearing the Ohio House.
“Do something” has become a rallying cry in Dayton since hundreds chanted it at DeWine during a vigil for the nine victims hours after the Aug. 4 shooting. Two days later, DeWine, a Republican, responded with a 17-point plan to reduce gun violence and bolster access to mental health services.
Many legislators, mostly Republicans, said they need to study the issue further before backing proposed solutions.
One of DeWine’s proposals was to establish a “safety protection order” that could be granted by a court to remove guns from individuals deemed an “imminent” risk to themselves or others because of a mental health issue, alcoholism, drug dependency or criminal history.
Seventeen states and the District of Columbia have some sort of “red flag” or “extreme risk” law on the books, but they differ in who is eligible, how protective orders are granted and how they are enforced.
President Donald Trump has said he supports such laws, and U.S. Senate Republicans plan to discuss a red flag bill in the coming months. In Sunday’s newspaper and on our website, we will take a deeper look at where our local lawmakers stand on DeWine’s gun proposals.
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