Ohio’s governor has signed a bill to make the state’s gun laws a little less stringent. Now, gun owners will not be required to have a permit for a concealed weapon or to attend eight hours of mandated training.

Gov. Mike DeWine (Wiki Commons)

Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 215, also known as “Constitutional Carry,” into law on Monday, March 14. The bill was introduced by Republican state Sen. Terry Johnson of Scioto County and is believed to complement the Ohio law that currently allows gun owners to openly carry.

With the passing of this law, a permit for a concealed weapon becomes optional for people 21 and older, who are legally allowed to own firearms. Other aspects of the new legislation include citizens no longer being required to “promptly” notify police officers if they are carrying concealed weapons. They also will not have to attend eight hours of gun training, including shooting practice.

In a statement, Buckeye Firearms Association director Dean Rieck celebrated the passing of the law, saying, “This is a day that will go down in history,” The Columbia Dispatch reported.

“This is a great moment for Ohio and for those who wish to more fully exercise their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms,” he wrote.

Johnson, who sponsored the bill, says, “This particular bill goes a large distance in getting the Second Amendment restored.”

Several police unions have spoken out against the law, believing it endangers Ohioans. 

Director of government affairs for the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio Michael Weinman opposed the law, arguing it will make the state “less safe.”

He said, “People get to carry a gun without any background check, without any training. It definitely makes Ohio less safe.”

With the law, people carrying firearms will only be required to announce they have a weapon if asked by law enforcement. If someone is asked about their gun and they lie about it, the violation will only register as a misdemeanor.

This rubs Tom Austin, executive director of the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the wrong way.

“We’re not here to offer an opinion on the Second Amendment or the right to carry a concealed weapon,” Austin said. “We just think it’s a reasonable expectation to expect people, especially in this climate, to be able to make the simplest advisement to law enforcement that they’re carrying a concealed weapon.”

Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said that the lawmakers are living in a “fantasy” if they believe this law will promote “safety.” He also balked at the idea of people “carrying” without “training.”

The Ohio Mayors Alliance, the Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association and groups that advocate for gun control like Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America also stood in opposition to the “Constitutional Carry” bill. 

“DeWine has sold out Ohioans and law enforcement officers to special interest groups and extremists in the legislature,” Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters said. “This bill will make all Ohioans less safe.”

Experts believe that Republicans are not considering the impact this will have on crime.

Research presented by Stanford Law professor John Donahue shows crimes like gun theft will rise in the state with the new law, offering, “I think there have been at least 14 studies that have found that right to carry will increase crime.”

While there is high alarm from law enforcement and scholars, the law does not allow gun owners free-range with their weapons. Some perimeters that they will continue to have to adhere to are, according to WBNS 10, in places of business that prohibit guns from being on the property.

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is an example of a place from which guns are banned. Also, theaters, select restaurants and public transportation reserve the right to not allow people with guns.

The new law includes Ohio, the U.S. Concealed Carry Association affirms, with 21 other American states that allow their residents to conceal guns without a permit.