Research shows Ohio gun policies could hurt public safety
I first want to comment on SB 215, which (took effect Monday). SB 215 was opposed by a number of law enforcement groups and reputable organizations.
Despite this ... advocacy against this legislation, it was passed into law with the signature of Gov. (Mike) Dewine while he all but abandoned his commitment to enact moderate changes in Ohio gun policies and practices to fulfill his commitment to “Do something!” in response to the mass shooting tragedy in Dayton and the heartrending pleas from a traumatized Miami Valley community.
It is interesting to note that in a response to criticism regarding his signing of Senate Bill 215, Gov. Dewine specifically noted that the bill “did not address rifles or long guns, as concealed carry laws generally only address handguns and rifles/long guns cannot be concealed.”
Painfully ironic, the Oregon District mass shooter concealed his semi-automatic pistol (adapted to function as a rifle), 100-round drum magazine, additional magazines and ammunition in a backpack which he carried to a rear alley, where he assembled the weapon and the drum magazine within minutes and then began his rampage shooting, killing nine persons and wounding 18.
Concerns about increased gun violence in response to more lax gun policies are well founded. In late April 2022, a new report was released from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions that examined gun fatality data for 2020, “a year that saw the highest number of gun-related deaths ever recorded by the CDC.” The Johns Hopkins Center media release regarding this study stated, in part:
“The year 2020 also saw a record number of gun sales … (and) nearly twice as many of these new guns showed up at crime scenes in 2020 than in 2019. The report found wide variations among states … (and) researchers note(d) that the states with the lowest gun death rates have stronger gun laws. Each of the five states with the lowest gun death rate had both the following gun laws in place in 2020: 1) a firearm purchaser licensing law or a waiting period; and 2) an Extreme Risk Protection Order law. Purchaser licensing laws require an individual to apply for and obtain a license before purchasing a firearm. Extreme Risk Protection Order laws are mechanisms to temporarily remove firearms from individuals at risk for suicide or violence against others.
“Conversely, states that had the highest gun death rates in 2020 had stand-your-ground legislation ... which allow individuals to carry a concealed gun in public without a permit.” ...
Ohioans would be better served by a legislature and executive branches that support research on and implementation of best practices to prevent gun violence, particularly targeted violence and mass casualty assaults, rather than implementing piecemeal, unproven, and ineffective policies to do so.