Constitutional Carry Heads to Gov. Mike DeWine’s Desk in Ohio

Constitutional carry legislation passed the Ohio House on Tuesday, had an amendment approved by the state Senate on Wednesday, and is now headed to Gov. Mike DeWine’s (R) desk.

FOX 8 reports that the amendment to the bill requires individuals to inform law enforcement they are carrying a gun when stopped for a traffic or other violation.

The amendment preserve’s the Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association’s neutral stance on the move from a permit requirement to a no-permit requirement for carrying a gun for self-defense.

Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association executive director Bob Cornwell explained what the amendment does: “If an individual is approached by a law enforcement officer, the individual if they’re carrying a firearm, must notify the law enforcement officer that they are carrying. If they fail to do so then it would be a misdemeanor of the second degree.”

The constitutional carry legislation was passed in the Ohio Senate on December 15, 2021. The bill is sponsored by state Sen. Terry Johnson (R), who said, “Ohioans are already permitted to open carry firearms, however, once an individual were to put on a sweatshirt or jacket, they would be in violation of the law….Senate Bill 215 solves this problem and further removes restrictions to Ohio’s second amendment rights.”

Constitutional carry is currently the law of the land in 21 states. Those states are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

On January 10, 2022, Breitbart News noted that constitutional carry was on the move in five additional states: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Nebraska, and Ohio.

From today’s vantage point, Ohio and Georgia could become the 22nd and 23rd constitutional carry states soon.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.