Ohio Mayors Alliance Board’s Statement on the Repeal of Ohio’s Concealed Carry Permitting Law (SB 215)
March 2, 2022
COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Mayors Alliance Board of Directors issued the following statement after the Ohio House vote on Senate Bill 215. Members of the Ohio Mayors Alliance Board of Directors are Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan, Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn, Lancaster Mayor David Scheffler, Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter, and Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown.
Passing Senate Bill 215 and repealing Ohio’s concealed carry permitting law is another dangerous step in the wrong direction and it is a serious threat to public safety in our communities. Our bipartisan coalition of mayors has stood with law enforcement groups in opposition to this bill because we know it will make our police officers less safe, it will increase gun violence in our communities, and it recklessly blurs the line between criminals with guns and properly licensed gun owners.
Ohio cities will undoubtedly face the deadly consequences of this law change. Moreover, because our right to local control has been erased by a previously passed state law prohibiting cities from regulating gun laws, local communities will have no ability to protect themselves. Only two states with large cities like Ohio have passed similar laws – Texas and Arizona. The other states that have done this are largely rural with fewer densely populated urban centers. With gun violence on the rise and with a tragic recent history of mass shootings in our cities, it is inconceivable that state leaders would allow this bill to become law.
During the committee process, the Ohio Mayors Alliance, the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Ohio Fraternal Order of Police wrote a letter to the entire General Assembly regarding Senate Bill 215 and House Bill 227.
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The Ohio Mayors Alliance is a bipartisan coalition of mayors in Ohio’s largest cities. It has been working to strengthen the partnership between state and local leaders since its formation in 2016. For more information on the group’s policy priorities and its membership, please visit: www.OhioMayorsAlliance.org.