Ohio governor will let concealed carry bill become law without signature
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Disappointed that it lacked gun law reforms he sought in the wake of recent mass shootings, Gov. John Kasich on Friday refused to sign the latest bill to reach his desk to ease rules on carrying concealedhandguns in Ohio.
The bill will instead become law Monday without his signature.
Mr. Kasich made it clear he did not object to what was contained in the concealedcarry bill, but rather what wasnot in it.
Among other things, the bill waives the concealedcarry licensing fee for current, retired, and honorably discharged members of the military and accepts training inthe military as proof of firearmcompetency.
The General Assembly, controlled by fellow Republicans, however, has balked at his proposals to enact a “red flag” law to proactively take guns from someone deemed a danger, prohibit sales of armor-piercing ammunition, and block third-party “straw man” sales that put guns in the hands of those legally prohibitedfrom having them.
“... while this legislation has merit and the governor’s support, he believes that the next piece of gun-related legislation that he signs needs to be the package of common sense reforms that have been introduced and which will provide valuable tools to reduce gun violence,” Kasich spokesman Jon Keeling said ina statement.
“Instead he will continue to work with and call on the General Assembly to put common sense and the lives of Ohioans — especially young people — ahead of politics and pass legislation to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people,” Mr. Keeling said.
When a bill clears both chambers and reaches his desk,the governor has the options of signing it, vetoing it, or allowing it to become law withouthis signature.
So Senate Bill 81 will become law Monday when it is filed with the secretary of state’s office. It passed both chambers with overwhelmingbipartisan support.
As recently as this week, the governor has expressed frustration with his Republican colleagues in the General Assembly for failing to enact the gun reforms he proposed following mass shootings in LasVegas and Parkland, Fla.