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Is Ohio the next state to California?

Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2005 10:03 pm
by dws1117
Just when it appears as if Ohio is on the right track with enacting CHL legislation, the city of Columbus passes its own "Assault Weapons Ban".

I found this story on Packing.org.

Hopefully the citizens of Ohio can find a way to defeat this at the state level. I admit that my legislative knowledge is seriously lacking, but there has got to be something that could be done to prevent cities from passing this type of law.

Text of article:

Ohio: Columbus City Council Unanimously Votes to Ban Assault Weapons

Press Release Source: Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence

Columbus City Council Unanimously Votes to Ban Assault Weapons
Monday July 11, 7:12 pm ET

COLUMBUS, Ohio, July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- With a unanimous city council vote of six to zero, Columbus joins other Ohio communities in banning assault weapons. Following a series of public hearings, Council members determined the risks to Columbus families increased unacceptably when the U.S. Congress failed to renew the federal law which expired on September 13th, 2004.

The Columbus ordinance bans the possession and transfer of assault weapons while continuing to allow the use of the weapons at licensed shooting ranges and in officially sanctioned competitive shooting events. Individuals who lawfully owned and possessed assault weapons before the ordinance's effective date may keep their weapons but have 90 days to register them with local authorities.

The Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence (OCAGV) provided support for the ordinance and testified in the public hearings. Toby Hoover, Executive Director of OCAGV, congratulated the City on its progressive action to make Columbus a safer place to live and raise families.

Said Hoover, "Assault weapons are semi-automatic guns that are made to spray fire a high volume of bullets. Assault weapons are not hunting guns. They are people killers and we should never forget that we are talking about people, both victims and survivors. These guns are an assault on us all and we congratulate Columbus for regulating them."

Sue Ann Schiff, Executive Director of Legal Community Against Violence (LCAV), agreed: "Assault weapons are designed to kill humans quickly and efficiently. The Columbus ordinance is directed to military-style weapons designed for rapid spray firing, not to standard sporting firearms."

At the request of the chair of the Columbus Public Safety Committee, Michael Mentel, LCAV testified about assault weapons, and provided the Committee with its comprehensive report, Banning Assault Weapons - A Legal Primer for State and Local Action, which includes a model law. The report provides a legal framework for state and local governments interested in banning assault weapons. LCAV has a special interest in assault weapons: it was founded in 1993 following an attack in San Francisco in which a gunman with two assault weapons shot 14 people, killing nine.

For more information visit http://www.ohioceasefire.org and htpt://www.lcav.org .

To our brothers and sisters in arms in Ohio, keep fighting. Please don't join California, N.J., Mass., and New York as another state where your rights are taken away.
Banning Assault Weapons - A Legal Primer for State and Local Action, which includes a model law. The report provides a legal framework for state and local governments interested in banning assault weapons.
This is the part that worries me the most.

OT: Thanks guys, you have all made me begin thinking. :? THis post is almost as long as one of stevie_d_64's.

Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 9:35 am
by dolanp
Fortunately for Texas we have state firearm pre-emption laws which prevent anti-gun city councils from passing any gun laws.

Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 9:57 am
by stevie_d_64
The discussion I have seen today, has been a call by some (even NRA members) insisting that the NRA relocate the convention somewhere else for 2007...

I commented here wondering if that should be done...

The pros and cons of that action seem to be focused on the good it shows a community that an organization should have conventions (like this) in a very anti-gun area...Whatever the local government does...

The cons (of which I understand, and agree with) are that the money generated by the convention and its attendees and exhibitors will go to that city government which passes those ordinances/laws...I somewhat have a problem with rewarding government entities with monies like that...I certainly don't oppose money directly benefitting local businesses with patronage because of a convention...But those cities like Columbus need to feel the sting of denial of revenue from organizations/agendas they oppose...

But thats just my opinion...