Gov. Kasich signs bill, allows concealed carry on campus

On Monday, December 19th, The Buckeye State took another step forward in protecting the Second Amendment rights of active duty members, employees, and law-abiding Ohioans when Governor John Kasich signed Sub. Senate Bill 199 into law, which will go into effect after 90 days.

The law removes the current prohibition of guns at airport terminals, school safety zones, and some government buildings. If approved by college trustees and business owners, the bill will also allow for concealed carry in daycare centers and college campuses.

The signing of this bill follows the recent attack on Ohio State’s campus by Abdul Razak Ali Artan, who left 13 injured after driving a car into a crowd of people before attacking those around him with a knife. The attack led to a push for better self-defense measures to be taken on campus and a group of gun rights advocates, unaffiliated with the university, led a march on campus with mixed responses from students.

This important self-defense law will exempt active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces from the concealed carry permit license requirements. The bill, sponsored by State Senator Joe Uecker (R-14), will make several crucial changes in the Concealed Handgun Law regarding a person who is an active duty member of the U.S. armed forces and is carrying a valid military identification card and a certificate issued by the person’s applicable service branch indicating that the person has successfully completed all arms qualification.

Much to many employers dismay, Sub. Senate Bill 199 will allow an employee to store a firearm in his or her locked vehicle (without fear of employer retribution), despite the “No Firearms” policies that many employers throughout the country have extended beyond the physical workplace.

NRA-ILA deems policies keeping gun owners from storing guns in their cars misguided, and states that they leave employees to choose between protecting themselves during the commutes and be subject to termination by their employers. In support of Bill 199 they’ve said, “The fundamental right to self-defense should not stop simply because employees park their cars in publicly accessible parking lots owned by their employers.” In order to circumvent this problem, this bill will prohibit employers from establishing, maintaining, or enforcing such policies.

The amended language from Sub. House Bill 48, sponsored by state Representative Ron Maag (R-62), will also enhance law-abiding citizens’ right to self-defense by expanding the list of places where citizens can legally carry concealed.

Cover photo credit: (DAVID JOLES/STARTRIBUNE) [email protected]